The Morning Read: Monday, October 6, 2008

Michael Bloomberg will “appease” term limits activist Ron Lauder by putting him on a charter revision commission, in exchange for Lauder not challenging Bloomberg’s plans to change term limits permanently.

The charter revision would put the issue on the ballot in 2010, so it won’t confuse voters with the mayor’s re-election in 2009, according to Bloomberg spokesman Jason Post.

The New York Times emphasizes the fact that Lauder said he’d oppose an effort to make the term limits change permanent.

“Ron Lauder sold out,” says Barry Popik.

Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser declined to comment on whether Bloomberg would participate in the matching funds program for his re-election.

Fareed Zakaria says today is “The Age of Bloomberg,” meaning we need “smart government.”

Zakaria faces for criticism for being out of touch.

The Working Families Party denies Bloomberg’s friends gave money to the party to help the mayor.

Bloomberg isn’t saying who he’s voting for.

“One of the state’s best-known elected officials” tells Fred Dicker to look for a fight between mayor Bloomberg and prospective governor Rudy Giuliani.

Dicker has more on that audit on David Soares coming out today.

Eric Lane says term limits prove you need experience in government.

The Columbia Spectator says a democratic process should take precedence over Bloomberg’s fortune and popularity.

“Swaddling his naked power grab in the Pampers of public interest” is another way to put it.

“A mayor has very limited control over the forces that affect a local economy,” says Doug Turetsky.

Bloomberg tells CNN the poor economy is exactly why he’s needed. (Earlier, he was more cautious about making the connection.)

The L.A. Times reports that Steve Schmidt was the person pushing John McCain to pick Sarah Palin as a running mate.

Palin started attacking Barack Obama aggressively this weekend.

Obama would like to remind voters about the Keating Five scandal.

The thing Palin said about how she pushed for divestment from Darfur is less than true.

Once-cautious Howard Wolfson says Obama has the election wrapped up.

Joe Biden has suspended campaigning because his mother-in-law died.

David Paterson and Hillary Clinton raise money for Senate Democrats.

That’s an abandonment of Paterson’s “political truce” with the Republican State Senate.

And here's some details from this New York profile of Paterson: he can dance on his hands, once hit a kid in the face with a metal lunch box, and is stinging from the fact that Eliot Spitzer never ran a TV ad featuring both of them.