In the Headlines

"Donation Record as Colin Powell Endorses Obama" (Jeff Zeleny, New York Times) - Senator Barack Obama on Sunday captured a forceful endorsement from former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and announced he had shattered campaign finance records in September, gaining an immense financial edge that will allow him to overwhelm Senator John McCain's efforts in every corner of the country.

"Campaigns blitzing red states as voter turnout, undecideds loom large" (Jim Tankersley and John McCormick, Chicago Tribune) - Their nearly 2-year-old campaigns are down to the final two weeks, and the time has come for John McCain and Barack Obama to harvest a White House victory or watch a dream wither away.

"McCain allies prefer plumber to Powell" (Kenneth Vogel, The Politico) - John McCain's surrogates took to the Sunday shows to minimize the damage from Colin Powell's endorsement of Democrat Barack Obama and challenge the hardening conventional wisdom that the presidential race is slipping away from their candidate.

"Democrats See Opportunity In Outer Suburbs' Troubles" (Alec MacGillis, Washington Post) - For all the emphasis on Sen. Barack Obama's chances with working-class voters in declining Rust Belt cities, the biggest swing vote in the presidential election is likely to be in outer suburban communities, where Democrats hope to capitalize on economic unease and demographic shifts to overturn traditional Republican strengths.

On the Morning Shows

Today - Barack Obama on Colin Powell's endorsement: "We'd obviously sought him for a long time. He will have a role as one of my advisors, he already served in that role before he endorsed me."

On his need to stay aggressive and not get complacent: "Every time we got in trouble in this campaign is because we got ball control offense."

(Greg Bobrinskoy contributed to the Morning Report.)