US election at-a-glance: 27 Oct

DAY IN A NUTSHELL

Barack Obama unveils what he calls his "closing argument" to voters. John McCain seizes upon a 2001 radio interview with Mr Obama in which Mr McCain says his opponent declared his support for redistributionist policies. Federal agents reveal details of a plot by two skinheads to assassinate Mr Obama. Alaska Senator Ted Stevens is found guilty of lying about gifts he received from an oil company.

KEY QUOTES

"In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope."
Barack Obama lays out his "closing argument"

Finally there is some candidness being forced out of Barack Obama Sarah Palin US election at-a-glance: 24 Oct

"In a radio interview [from 2001] revealed today, [Barack Obama] said that one of the, quote, "tragedies" of the civil rights movement is that it didn't bring about a redistribution of wealth in our society. That is what change means for Barack the Redistributor: It means taking your money and giving it to someone else."
John McCain

"With his... statements in 2001, Obama was referring to the sorts of claims being made in courts in the relevant period, for which the word "redistribution" has often been used... it is truly ridiculous to take Obama's remarks in 2001 as suggesting that the nation should embark on a large-scale redistributive scheme."
Cass Sunstein, Obama friend and adviser, responds to Mr McCain's claims

"Finally there is some candidness being forced out of Barack Obama for him to get to fess up on what his plans are for tax increases and spreading the wealth."
Sarah Palin

"The challenges facing the next president will be extraordinary. We hesitate to wish it on anyone, but we hope that Mr Obama gets the job."
The Financial Times endorses Barack Obama, having backed George W Bush in 2000 and 2004

NUMBER NEWS

Barack Obama maintains his strong advantage in the major national tracking polls, with leads ranging from five points (according to Rasmussen and Zogby) to 10 points (according to Gallup).

The Democrat also enjoys leads in most of today's battleground polls: Rasmussen has him up by four points in Colorado, Ohio and Florida, and by 10 points in Virginia.

Rasmussen gives John McCain a one-point lead in North Carolina, however.

In Missouri, traditionally a bellwether state, three pollsters have published polls today, all of which confirm that the race for Missouri's electoral votes is very tight.

Zogby has Mr Obama ahead by two points there, Rasmussen has him ahead by one point, while SurveyUSA has the two candidates tied.

DAILY PICTURE

Joe Biden banks a few more votes, as he campaigns in Greeneville, North Carolina