On the campaign trail: Speaking to a crowd of about 250 people—who paid $25 each to attend the Restore America Rally in Louisville on Wednesday evening, hosted by conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt—Gov. Bobby Jindal told Kentuckians that they need to make sure that Sen. Mitch McConnell returns to Washington, where he could become majority leader if Republicans take control of the Senate. The Courier-Journal reports Jindal also ripped President Barack Obama, saying he is “beginning to wonder” if Obama is actually smart. Jindal appeared with McConnell at the rally, just days ahead of Tuesday’s election in which McConnell faces Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes. Read the full story.
At the podium: Less than a week before Election Day, Louisiana voters got their last chance on Wednesday evening to compare the top three Senate candidates side by side. Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republicans Rep. Bill Cassidy and Rob Maness faced off in a final debate that was televised live from LSU. Because it was the final debate platform, WAFB-TV reports, the candidates did not pull punches. While there were familiar campaign messages presented by all three, the topic of immigration was one that elicited a heated response. Read the full story.
Here’s the pitch: Free-market economists are launching an initiative today to tout the promise of crude exports, buttressing separate campaigns by oil companies and their allies on Capitol Hill, FuelFix.com reports. With a website, papers and analysis, the new “Unlock Crude Exports” campaign aims to convince policymakers in the White House and Congress that it’s time to dismantle the 39-year-old ban on selling most U.S. oil overseas. Margo Thorning, senior vice president of the American Council for Capital Formation, which is funding the campaign, says the change would allow the United States to capitalize on its “energy advantages,” as a domestic drilling boom sends oil production to near-record levels. Read the full story.
