Very brief debate recap

Good morning. Quite the debate last night. Democrats have largely united behind Hillary Clinton, but many Republicans are still wrestling with what to do, writes the Orange County Register. Fortunately for everyone, the election will be over soon. 

And while many media outlets are focused on GOP nominee Donald Trump’s refusal to say he’d support the results of the election (assuming he loses, since he’d likely have no problem supporting the results if he wins), Joe Scarborough, the co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, had an interesting take on political hypocrisy and the parsing of words.

MSNBC has more.

And that’s enough about the presidential race. Back in California, the state government’s largest union, SEIU Local 1000, is “edging closer to a strike” over the size of its raise, reports The Sacramento Bee.

California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate, has “launched a criminal probe into allegations of criminal identity theft linked to the Wells Fargo unauthorized accounts scandal, the latest sign the embattled bank’s troubles are far from over.” The San Jose Mercury News has more. 

Observers say a new attack ad from Congressman David Valadao, the perpetually vulnerable Hanford Republican, suggests the race is close. The Bakersfield Californian has more. 

Notice anything strange about campaigns against ballot measures proposing an increase in the tobacco tax and an extension of a tax on the highest incomes? Business groups aren’t fighting very hard. The Los Angeles Times explains why. 

Legislature:

• Gone till December.

Gov. Brown: 

• No public events announced, but we do know he left the state. That is all. 

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Katy Grimes: It was unimistakable confidence on display tonight at the first Presidential debate between President Barack Obama, and challenger, former Massachusettes Governor Mitt Romney. But the confidence wasn’t coming from the President as so many in the media have been expecting.

Romney was undaunted, factual, and comfortable in his own skin, as the President is so often not.

Romney was the adult to Obama’s awkward adolescent. Romney was full of facts, answers, and solid retorts. And as Romeny delivered his statements with confidence, Obama appeared to be channeling memory recall.

It was hard work and real life experiences, versus entitlement and the easy way out. Platitudes and anecdotes versus nuance, and fact.

It is no wonder that NBC news anchors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw excused Obama for his poor performance, stating that he was busy working running the country while Romney was able to practice for the debate.

Moderator Jim Lehrer attempted to offer a few assists to Obama, but all it did was create an opening large enough for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hummer to drive through.