Take 2

Actor Kal Penn, better known as Kumar from the “Harold & Kumar” movies is back at the White House, ABC News reports. He left this summer to film another H&K movie.

The actor, whose real name is Kalpen Modi, began his duties on Monday as the associate director in the Office of Public Engagement. He served in a similar role prior to heading off to the movie set.

Who knew he had time to write another book?

President Obama’s children’s book, “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters” has been released.

The 31-page book, featuring illustrations of his daughters and his dog Bo, begins: “Have I told you lately how wonderful you are? How the sound of your feet running from afar brings dancing rhythms to my day?”

Proceeds from the book, which has a suggested retail price of $17.99, will be donated to a scholarship fund for children of fallen and disabled soldiers.

Notable quotable

“Hey have you heard that President Obama’s picture book for kids comes out tomorrow? That’s when you know things have changed right? When Bush writes a 500-page memoir and Obama hands in a coloring book” — Jimmy Fallon

No tea (conspiracy) for me

Bristol Palin is knocking down claims that there is a conspiracy by Tea Party activists to keep her on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” She has consistently received low scores throughout the show and yet remains in the top four.

Bristol Palin was quick to dismiss the notion that she’s only there because of her mother’s supporters. In an interview with E! News, she said “Think about all the people who hate my mom!”

I’ll have what the POTUS is having

CNN’s Eatocracy blog takes a look at just how first class the food is aboard Air Force One — complete with pictures and a critique from senior photojournalist Mark Walz.

Who knew there was an Air Force One tobasco sauce?

Picture you need to see

From Getty Images: Members of the U.S. Park Police arrest gay rights activist and former Army Lt. Dan Choi, who handcuffed himself to the fence of the White House during a protest Monday.

The protesters are calling on the Obama administration and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to keep their promise on repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ — the law banning gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.

Headline of the day

“The Economy of the Aging Sex Kitten”

Late-night laughs

Conan O’Brien: “Recent reports suggest that passages from former President George W. Bush’s new book may have been lifted from other books … Yes especially the parts about Dumbledore and Voldemort.”

Jon Stewart: “[Cindy McCain is] against what ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ does but she’s for ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ No wonder they have so many houses! They need them to keep all their different beliefs in them.”

Jimmy Kimmell: “Sarah Palin’s reality show premiered last night on TLC. Huge ratings — 5 million viewers. It was the biggest premiere in the history of that network. If you didn’t see it, it’s basically ‘Jon and Kate’ plus about four meets ‘The Deadliest Catch’”

Political Circus: Kumar’s back

I’m not just a pretty face!

Check out Politico‘s “10 Crushworthy New Reps” featuring Hansen Clarke, Colleen Hanabusa, Adam Kinzinger and Kristi Noem.

Kinzinger, described by many Hill staffers as “the new hottie on the block,” gets this glowing endorsement from writer Karin Tanabe:

“Why he’s crushworthy: He’s heroic. He won the U.S. Air Force Airman’s Medal for saving a woman’s life in 2007. Plus, we’ll say it: He’s handsome. A pilot and an Iraq war veteran, Kinzinger, in aviators and a flight suit, conjures up memories of Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’ — which isn’t a bad thing!”

As for GOP rising star Noem from South Dakota? “She’s more than pretty. Noem isn’t just a strikingly attractive woman, she’s a strikingly attractive woman who can run a farm.”

‘A happy wife is happy life’

Republican Sen. John McCain’s wife, Cindy — a staunch supporter of gay rights — is featured in an ad for the NOH8 campaign championing the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

“Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT youth that they have no future,” she said in the ad, which features other celebrities. “They can’t serve our country openly.”

Her ad, though, could cause some issues at home. After all, her husband has signaled he is against repealing the law, which bars openly gay men and women from serving in the military.

From the Twitterverse

What’s in a name, you ask? McCain’s daughter Meghan has the answer.

@McCainBlogette: ” ‘Peter Sellers’ was my secret service nickname and has been my pseudonym at hotels for YEARS (whenever a crazy person threatening my family)”

The next South Beach Diet?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and his wife are planning to write a vegan diet book called “The Cleveland Diet.”

It will detail Kucinich’s “evolution from eating a traditional meat-and-potatoes diet to eating no animal products,” according to the article.

Headline of the day

Gawker: “White House Undecided On Whether To Let Republicans Walk All Over Them”

Mama Grizzly’s Alaska, or the other way around?

Sarah Palin’s new reality show, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” premieres this Sunday on The Learning Channel. But it’s already being panned — especially by New York Daily News columnist David Hinckley.

“Whether you think Palin is America’s breath of fresh air or a lightweight opportunist, there can be no argument this show is way more Palin than Alaska,” he wrote. “If she were buying the time, she couldn’t have created a more flattering infomercial.”

Happy to be here? Raise your hands …

In this handout photo to Getty Images, members of the G-20 Economic Summit pose for their class shot. The photo was taken Friday at the fifth meeting of the G-20 group of nations in Seoul, South Korea.

Notable quotable

“President Obama is meeting with world leaders in South Korea today at the G-20 economic summit. John McCain heard ‘G-20,’ and he yelled ‘Bingo!’ ” — George Lopez

Late-night laughs

Stephen Colbert: “Wall Street hands out record bonuses. Poor people — get ready to be trickled down on.”

Jimmy Fallon: “This guy in Indonesia wrote this book about President Obama. … It’s 5,472 pages long — the thickest book in the world. The book is called ‘One of Obama’s Speeches.’ “

David Letterman: “I’ll say this — the president [George W. Bush] looks great now and is everywhere talking about his book. And he is being very candid: In one interview, he said that he used to do stupid things while he was drunk. But think about it: Who among us hasn’t had a couple of drinks and invaded Iraq?”

Political Circus: Hotties in the House

The address at the University of Indonesia was considered a highlight of Obama’s two-day stop in the southeast Asian nation where he spent four years of his childhood.

As the nation with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia was chosen as the site for Obama to further address U.S. relations with the Islamic world following his speech on the topic last year in Cairo, Egypt.

He referred specifically to the Cairo speech of June 2009, noting he called there “for a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world — one that creates a path for us to move beyond our differences.”

“I said then, and I will repeat now, that no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust,” Obama said. At the same time, he promised that “no matter what setbacks may come, the United States is committed to human progress.”

Volcano may cut Obama Jakarta trip short

Obama touts importance of Indonesia

Gallery: Barack Obama’s Indonesian childhood

Obama’s trip to Asia

America “is not, and never will be, at war with Islam,” Obama insisted. “Instead, all of us must defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion — certainly not a great world religion like Islam.”

Indonesia has been rocked by terror attacks such as bombings on Bali in 2002 and 2005, and Obama noted the nation’s progress “in rooting out terrorists and combating violent extremism.”

However, Muslims staged rallies across Indonesia on Sunday to protest the American president’s visit, and about 20,000 people attended the demonstrations, a spokesman for a protest group said.

“We don’t see the differences between Obama and (former U.S. President George W.) Bush. They both oppress Muslims. They both have blood on their hands,” said Ismail Yusanto, a spokesman for the Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir. “That’s why we reject Obama and we don’t believe that he’s reaching out to Muslims.”

In his speech Wednesday, Obama reflected on his years in Indonesia, referring to how he and his family were warmly accepted. He got cheers when he sprinkled sayings from the local Malay language, such as “Selamat Datang” — a greeting of welcome — and the national motto “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” which means “unity in diversity.”

Noting that Malay is one of hundreds of languages of the archipelago nation, Obama lauded Indonesia for its spirit of inclusiveness despite its diverse population and history of dictatorship.

“But even as this land of my youth has changed in so many ways, those things that I learned to love about Indonesia — that spirit of tolerance that is written into your constitution, symbolized in your mosques and churches and temples standing alongside each other; that spirit that is embodied in your people — that still lives on,” he said.

Now, Obama said, he returned as the U.S. president seeking “a deep and enduring partnership” with Indonesia, “because as vast and diverse countries; as neighbors on either side of the Pacific; and above all as democracies — the United States and Indonesia are bound together by shared interests and shared values.”

“America has a stake in an Indonesia that is growing, with prosperity that is broadly shared among the Indonesian people — because a rising middle class here means new markets for our goods, just as America is a market for yours,” Obama said.

The U.S. leader called for Indonesia’s continued development and warned that would require “a refusal to tolerate the corruption that stands in the way of opportunity,” along with a commitment to transparency and protecting the freedom being honored on the Heroes’ Day holiday Wednesday marking Indonesian independence.

“Our nations show that hundreds of millions who hold different beliefs can be united in freedom under one flag,” Obama said. “And we are now building on that shared humanity — through the young people who will study in each other’s schools; through the entrepreneurs forging ties that can lead to prosperity; and through our embrace of fundamental democratic values and human aspirations.”

CNN’s Tom Cohen contributed to this report.

Obama: Indonesia model of religious tolerance

MSNBC announced Friday that Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely for violating the ethics policies of his employer earlier this year when he donated to three Democrats seeking federal office.

“I think he should be suspended, but…first of all, the policy may or may not be smart,” Matt Lewis, political analyst for PoliticsDaily.com, told “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz.. “It may be that if you host an evening show, and you obviously have a point of view, as Olbermann does, that you should be exempted from the policy, that’s something to look at.”

Joan Walsh, editor in chief of Salon.com, took more a big-picture look at the Olbermann controversy and suggested it may be a case of media overkill.

“This story is part of the reason why people don’t like the media,” said Walsh. “We’re sitting here naval-gazing about this very wealthy man, respected by many of us, reviled by others, who is going to be fine whatever happens, while people across the country are getting thrown out of their jobs.”

Olbermann’s show, “Countdown,” has been a staple of MSNBC’s prime-time programming, and It has some of the highest ratings on the network.

New York Times media writer David Carr talked about the resiliency of both Olbermann and his show in the long run.

“I don think anybody who watches him would be stunned that he put his money where his mouth is,” said Carr. “In terms of, did he injure his relationship with his viewers? I really doubt it.”

Host Kurtz took time at the end of “Reliable Sources” to talk about the man responsible for Olbermann’s suspension.

“MSNBC President Phil Griffin stepped up to the plate by suspending his star, rather than letting him off with a slap on the wrist,” said Kurtz.

In what was apparently his first public comment since his suspension was announced, Olbermann wrote Sunday on his Twitter page: “Greetings From Exile! A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug & obviously left me tweetless XO.”

Journalists talk about Olbermann suspension

When the Republicans gained majority power in the House of Representatives Tuesday, the man poised to lead them was brought to tears.

That evening, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, who will soon become the new speaker of the House, told supporters, “I spent my whole life chasing the American dream.”

With tears forming and his voice quavering, Boehner recounted details of his life growing up in southwestern Ohio: “I started out mopping floors, waiting tables and tending bar at my dad’s tavern. I put myself through school, working every rotten job there was and every night shift I could find.”

While it’s a story of humble beginnings — Boehner worked as a janitor in college — it’s a long way from the image many have of him today, as a Washington insider known for a ubiquitous tan, an unstoppable smoking habit and fiery speeches on the House floor.

One of Boehner’s friends, Jerry Vanden Eynden, who has known the 60-year-old, 10-term congressman since seventh grade, told CNN Boehner’s career continues to surprise childhood friends.

“It was nothing that any of us would ever have expected,” said Vanden Eynden, president of a Cincinnati, Ohio, candle company. “We would have expected him more to be successful in business, the way he was, more than get into the political field.”

“I can’t say that there was anything that made him outstanding to me in grade school. He was just one of the guys,” Vanden Eynden said.

Boehner is the second of 12 children.

“The thing I remember most about going to his house was there was always diapers on the line,” recalled Vanden Eynden. “No matter what time of year it was, they were either outside or inside, but his mom always had cloth diapers. There were so many kids running around.”

Who is John Boehner?

Boehner is the first in his family to graduate from college. Earning a degree in business from Xavier University, Boehner eventually became president of Nucite Sales, a plastics and packaging company. Boehner began his political career in the 1980s, serving in the Ohio state legislature. He won his first congressional race in 1990.

Twenty years later, longtime friends reject the idea that he has turned into a Washington elitist who’s too chummy with lobbyists.

Dan Danner, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business and himself a registered lobbyist, has known Boehner since he first ran for Congress. He said the image of an insider as someone who is “co-opted by the system” and becomes “someone that you weren’t when you came here” doesn’t describe the congressman.

“You know, I think he’s still John Boehner,” he said.

“There’s no substitute for having run a business,” Danner said. “It’s completely different if you’ve only signed the back of a paycheck and you’ve never signed the front.”

During Boehner’s time in Congress, he’s also earned a reputation among reporters and colleagues as having a laid-back demeanor and a penchant for wisecracks. On Thursday, when questioned by ABC’s Diane Sawyer about the possibility of a “Slurpee summit” with President Obama, Boehner responded, “I don’t know about a Slurpee. How about a glass of merlot?”

“We were angels, and that’s the way we’ll keep it,” said Vanden Eynden when asked if Boehner learned to joke around while attending an all-boys high school in Ohio.

And while friends don’t recall Boehner as someone who easily sheds tears, they say the recent public displays of emotion are genuine.

“It’s sincere,” said Vanden Eynden. “I think he’s seeing that he has a chance to realize that dream, that goal that he put out there.”

Friends say Boehner not D.C. ‘insider’

Fightin’ words

Radio host/jack-of-all-trades Ryan Seacrest lashed out on his website at Meghan McCain after she criticized President Obama’s decision to appear on Seacrest’s show before Tuesday’s election.

Seacrest fought back on his nationally syndicated radio show. “She thinks ["On Air with Ryan Seacrest"] is just lowbrow,” he said. “I just want to be clear — it is the lowbrow show she wanted to be on twice to come promote her stuff.”

As he says on “American Idol” — Seacrest out.

Like a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’

From Friday’s White House pool report from political website The Daily Caller: “At 9:48 POTUS and FLOTUS exited the south Portico and boarded Marine One. POTUS wore no coat over his suit, but FLOTUS wore a fashionable tan or light brown coat. POTUS put his hand on FLOTUS’ back as they walked and looked over at her, appearing to say something. And with that, the first couple was off for southeast Asia.” (The abbreviations stand for “president of the United States” and “first lady of the United States.”)

Watch where you put that hatchet

Former Delaware Senate rivals Chris Coons and Christine O’Donnell took part Thursday in a time-honored tradition in the state by burying the hatchet — literally, The Delaware News Journal reports.

Time to make the coffee

The New York Daily News reports on former President George W. Bush’s daily ritual since leaving the White House, saying his “internal alarm clock” makes him wake up before 5 a.m. And he’s taken on a more domestic role by making coffee for his wife, Laura. When outside, it’s all adventure: “He hits dirt-bike trails around Dallas regularly.”

First chef of New York?

New York governor-elect Andrew Cuomo’s girlfriend — cooking sensation Sandra Lee — won’t be taking on the title of first lady or any official duties, the Daily News reports. Cuomo’s staff says Lee “would never expect any taxpayer dollar to support the contributions she makes nor would she want to burden the state in any way.”

Notable quotable

“Tuesday night, voters completely rejected the efforts of a charismatic African-American. … Rick Fox is off ‘Dancing with the Stars.’” — NBC’s Jay Leno

The picture you need to see

From Getty Images: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton receives a Hongi (Maori greeting) during a welcome ceremony at New Zealand’s Parliament on Thursday.

Headline of the day

From Reuters:“Putin to Bush: My dog bigger than yours”

Late-night laughs

David Letterman: “[Sarah Palin] says she wants limited government. … Does she mean fewer elected officials? Or few elected officials who will resign in the middle of their term? I think limited government will be perfect for her limited abilities.”

Jon Stewart mocking the White House press corps: “Uh, Mr. President, Tom Patterson, UPI. Do you suck? Quick follow-up: do you suck so bad you don’t even know how sucky you are? I would like your answer in the form of ‘you suck.’”

Jimmy Fallon: “In his new book, George W. Bush says he considered dropping Dick Cheney from the 2004 ticket because he wanted to demonstrate he was in charge — not Cheney. But then Cheney nixed the idea, so it went back to normal. He didn’t do it.”

Political Circus: McCain vs. Seacrest

Just two months ago, the incumbent Republican conceded her party’s primary to little-known Tea Party-backed Joe Miller. Shortly after, Murkowski dove into the middle of Republican infighting by launching a write-in bid to retain her seat.

Party leaders criticized her decision. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who endorsed Miller, called Murkowski’s revived campaign “a futile effort on her part.” The last U.S. senator to win on a write-in campaign was Strom Thurmond in 1954.

“They said it couldn’t be done,” Murkowski told CNN as the results came in late Tuesday. “We looked at that, and we said if it can be done anywhere, it can be done in Alaska, and let’s prove the rest of the country wrong.”

Aware of the intricacies of a write-in win, Murkowski cautioned that “we’re not done yet. There’s still a lot out more there; we know that.”

Alaska counts write-in ballots

Ballot count to determine Alaska race

Cold victory walk an Alaskan tradition

Murkowski: We are not done yet

The votes for write-in candidates outnumbered those for both Miller and Scott McAdams, the Democratic candidate.

But the outcome of the general election might not be known for days because officials need to determine which write-in votes actually went to Murkowski.

She was one of 161 people who filed the paperwork necessary to qualify as a write-in candidate, according to the Alaska Division of Elections.

As of Wednesday night, with 78 percent of precincts reporting, the write-in candidates were leading the pack with 41 percent of the vote. Miller had 34 percent, and McAdams trailed with 24 percent.

CNN has projected that the Democratic candidate will finish in third place but has not yet called the race for Murkowski or Miller.

Despite Murkowski’s excitement, Miller’s campaign remained optimistic Wednesday, saying, “This campaign is not over!”

“Previous write-in campaigns in Alaska have demonstrated that as much as 5 [percent] to 6 percent of returned ballots have not met the standard to be counted as a valid vote,” the campaign said in a statement.

“Candidates who mount a write-in campaign opt for an uphill battle. At this point, without a single write-in ballot counted, Lisa Murkowski has no claim on a victory.”

Another fellow Alaskan running as a write-in is Lisa M. Lackey, whose presence on the ballot may complicate things for Murkowski.

Under state law, for a write-in vote to be valid, the name written on the ballot must match the name as it is listed on the write-in candidate’s declaration of candidacy. In Murkowski’s case, the law requires her supporters to write “Lisa Murkowski” or “Murkowski” for the vote to be counted.

However, in the event a voter misspells or abbreviates a candidate’s name, such as “Lisa M.” instead of “Lisa Murkowski,” the Division of Elections would determine the voter’s intent “on a case-by-case basis,” according to division director Gail Fenumiai.

With two potential “Lisa M’s” as write-in candidates, determining the intent of a voter who writes in “Lisa M.” on his or her ballot would be much more difficult.

Matt Felling, an anchor for KTVA-TV in Anchorage, said the race could prove to be the “highest stakes spelling bee in American political history.”

“Now we are going to find out how many people can put nine letters together that somewhat resemble Murkowski,” he told CNN.

Miller’s campaign blasted the Division of Elections’ standards as “extraordinarily ambiguous.”

On election nights, the Division of Elections tabulates the total number of write-in votes cast — not a breakdown by candidate.

The Division of Elections only calculates the number of write-in votes for specific candidates if the total number of write-in votes cast is more than the number of votes received for any candidate, or if the total number of write-in votes comes in a close second to the top vote-getter.

Before the Division of Elections can start tabulating the write-in votes for specific candidates, all of the ballots cast have to be counted, including absentee ballots, early votes and questioned ballots.

The lieutenant governor’s office and the Division of Elections plan to count all absentee ballots next Tuesday and move on to the hand count of the write-in votes the following day. The count of the write-in ballots is expected to take about three days.

The count was moved up from the original date of November 18 to provide election results in “a timely manner,” according to Renee Limoge, spokeswoman for Alaska Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell.

Miller told CNN he would challenge the decision to count the votes earlier than planned. He also said that as of Wednesday, he had not heard from the national GOP, which backed his candidacy.

Murkowski said she intends to caucus with the Republicans should she return to the Senate.

“I’m not my party’s nominee, but I am a Republican,” she said.

With a victory, Murkowski would avenge her August primary loss to Miller in the latest chapter of a feud with his main backers and her long-standing tension with Palin.

Murkowski was first appointed to her post by her father, then-Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2002. Palin defeated him in the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary.

CNN’s Drew Griffin, Jason Hanna and Robert Yoon contributed to this report.

Murkowski’s fate: High stakes ‘spelling bee’

Blame it on biology

Researchers at the University of California and Harvard University say there’s a genetic reason why some people just can’t stand former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Between a Reid and a hard place

The New York Times reports that Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer — the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate — is finding himself in an “excruciatingly delicate position” as he works to keep Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in office, while at the same time, weighing his own political ambitions.

After all, if Reid loses to Republican Sharron Angle and Democrats keep control of the Senate, Schumer is widely believed to be next in line.

Let the knives do the voting

AOL News wanted to find out if champion knife-thrower David Adamovich, known as “The Great Throwdini,” could predict upcoming election races by throwing knives at candidates’ names on a spinning wheel. Adamovich, a self-identified conservative, made some interesting picks.

Dog-gone it, they don’t like me

Republicans, still upset at comedian Al Franken’s stunning win to Norm Coleman in Minnesota’s Senate race, are vowing to never let that happen again.

The Republican National Committee’s No More Frankens site asks for donations in order to “stand together in 2010, to ensure that there will be No More Frankens.”

Clowning around

Christine O’Donnell, the Tea Party-backed candidate for a Delaware Senate seat, has faced national scrutiny for campaign gaffes and controversial statements since jumping into the race. But she has taken it in stride and fought back hard each time. Perhaps she learned how to perform under pressure from her father, Daniel O’Donnell, an actor who once played Bozo the Clown.

Oh, Carl

Carl Paladino, the headline-grabbing Republican gubernatorial candidate in New York, is under fire for calling New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand “Schumer’s little girl” — a reference to her close friendship with the state’s senior senator, Chuck Schumer.

Waiting ’til the last minute

Rep. Michele Bachmann isn’t quite sure that Minority Leader John Boehner would make a great Speaker of the House if Republicans take back control after Election Day.

In a radio interview, the Minnesota Republican said she’d have to weigh all the candidates before her and would vote for Boehner if he were the only candidate running.

Photo of the day: What’s in my drink?

Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink seems a little unsure of taking a sip of her cafecito at a campaign stop at the Cuban Versailles restaurant Friday in Miami, Florida. Perhaps she got a text message warning her about it? Just joking. Check out the Getty Images photo.

Don’t mess with Biden’s hair

Comedian Jimmy Fallon took a cheap shot at Vice President Joe Biden’s hair last night, joking:

“During a campaign stop in New York this week Joe Biden said to a volunteer, ‘if I had your hair, I would have been president.’ In response the guy was like, ‘if I had your hair I wouldn’t bring up the subject of hair.’”

CNN’s Kristi Keck contributed to this report.

Campaign Circus: Hating Sarah Palin is genetic?

It’s certainly not the FDNY calendar

Vanity Fair magazine has unveiled “Red Meat,” its official 2010-11 Republican Beefcake Calendar — House Minority Leader John Boehner in a Speedo-style bathing suit is a must see.

Whoopsie

The White House recently sent out a press release with a glaring error. The press shop misspelled first lady Michelle Obama’s name. On Wednesday, they sent a corrected press release to reporters.

This isn’t amateur night at The Apollo

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman was booed by an audience Tuesday night at a debate when she declined to end negative ads. Her opponent, Democrat Jerry Brown, accepted the challenge.

Here’s Johnny

“Daily Show” host Jon Stewart lambasted Republicans on his show Tuesday night for saying Washington is broken and needs “change,” without laying out specifics on how they will fix it.

He was especially tough on Sen. John McCain — using sound bytes of the Arizona Republican saying that the system is broken. “John McCain has always worked here and always will and he is the caretaker from ‘The Shining,’ ” said Stewart.

Move over, Zagat Guide

Former President Clinton, perhaps the most sought-after campaigner this year, is also the most sought-after diner. Restaurants around the world are using his visits to attract customers — and it’s working. A tip here: You might want to call ahead for the “Clinton Table” at the Bukhara restaurant in New Delhi, India.

A scary day for Democrats

“Tonight Show” host Jay Leno used Halloween to take a shot at Democrats, saying: “Of course this Sunday is Halloween — the scariest day of the year. Unless you’re Democrat and that’s next Tuesday that would be the scariest day of the year.”

I want a best friend

The New York Post reports that White House senior adviser David Axelrod is in the market for a dog and has been “begging his wife for a dog” since coming to Washington. The only problem? His wife, according to the paper, says he has to wait until he moves back home to Illinois.

Picture of the day: Her very own ‘Mini-Me’

Former first lady Laura Bush has something to cheer about in this picture from Getty Images: She received her bobble-head doll during California first lady Maria Shriver’s annual Women’s Conference on Tuesday.

Campaign circus: 12 months of GOP hunks

Obama’s cousin to take him on in 2012?

Don Cordell, an 83-year-old retired engineer from California, plans to run against President Obama in 2012. Cordell told AOL News that he is a distant cousin to 22 presidents — including George W. Bush, Obama and George Washington, to name a few.

Harry Reid the default option?

Nevadan Joyce Ferrara told CNN affiliate KVVU that when she went to vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s name was already selected. An election official claims there is no fraud.

‘He had me at hope and change’

The College Republican National Committee, in a new video entitled “Break Up,” says it wants to put an end to its relationship with President Obama. Wait — they’ve liked him this whole time?

Scooping the poop

Obama cut out of a fundraiser in Rhode Island on Monday night, according to the Provindence Journal, saying that he couldn’t stay for dinner because he had to “go home to tuck in the girls and walk the dog and scoop the poop.”

Say what?

Sean Bielat, the Republican taking on openly gay Democratic Rep. Barney Frank in Massachusetts, is under fire for telling the Boston Herald that gays and lesbians don’t have the right to serve in the military, just as short people don’t.

Picture of the day: He’s not having any of it

A police officer assigned to President Obama’s Moving America Forward rally at the University of Southern California appears to be having a bad day in a Getty Images photo of the rally.

Campaign Valley of the Dolls

Two well-publicized candidates — one known for her unique name (Krystal Ball) and the other for his Rent Is Too Damn High party (Jimmy McMillan) — have received a special honor, according to POLITICO.com: getting their own action figures made.

Reid staffer gone amid fake marriage revelation

A staffer for Reid no longer works for the senator, amid reports the staffer orchestrated a sham marriage in order to provide a Lebanese man with American citizenship, a spokesman for Reid said.

Campaign Circus: Obama vs. his cousin in 2012?