US election at-a-glance: 22 Oct

DAY IN A NUTSHELL

Barack Obama hits back at John McCain over recent attacks on his tax plans, as it emerges that the McCain campaign has spent more than $150,000 on clothes and accessories for Sarah Palin.

KEY QUOTES

"Al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election."
Message posted to al-Hesbah website, a password-protected site linked to al-Qaeda

Barack Obama is a true wolf in sheep's clothing Walker Johanson Washington Times US election at-a-glance: 21 Oct

"Let's be clear who John McCain is fighting for - he's not fighting for Joe the Plumber, he's fighting for Joe the Hedge Fund Manager."
Barack Obama

"Barack Obama is a true wolf in sheep's clothing. On the outside, he's nice, pleasant, handsome, well-spoken, has cute little kids, dresses well, looks like someone we would all like to know. But underneath, he resembles an anti-American Marxist."
Walker Johanson, Washington Times

"I think she's the most qualified of anyone recently who has run for vice president."
John McCain thinks Sarah Palin is more qualified than Dick Cheney, John Edwards and Joe Lieberman

"I play her bubble-headed too when I imitate her."
Sarah Palin hits back at Tina Fey's portrayal of her on Saturday Night Live

NUMBER NEWS

Barack Obama increases his lead slightly, almost all of today's tracking polls indicated

His biggest lead (11 points) came in the ABC/Washington Post tracker, his smallest (two points) came in the Battleground/GWU tracker.

CNN published a number of polls from battleground states which provided further good news for Mr Obama.

If the polls are to be believed, the Illinois senator is ahead by five points in Nevada, four in North Carolina, four in Ohio and ten in Virginia.

John McCain holds a nine-point lead in West Virginia, however.

For those readers intrigued by the recent BBC News website feature on the electoral race in Maine, a new poll from Pan Atlantic could prove informative.

The BBC concluded that if John McCain could hold Mr Obama to a two or three point lead state-wide, he might have a chance of picking up an electoral vote (because Maine allocates two of its electoral college votes to the winners in its two electoral districts).

Pan Atlantic gives Mr Obama a 12-point lead in Maine, so Mr McCain's prospects of picking up an electoral vote here look slim.

DAILY PICTURE

John McCain is not the only maverick at this rally in New Hampshire, it would seem.