CARBONDALE, ILL.--Perry Bacon Jr. , a Washington Post reporter who is covering White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been drilling down. He writes about: “Obama's 'Enthusiasm Gap'
blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/09/24/post_91.html

The Washington Post editorial board looks at policy proposals in what the paper calls their "Ideas Primary" series. In Tuesday's paper, the income tax plan Obama unveiled last week gets a thumbs down (Roger, Richard, I hope you don't mind that I borrowed a thumb) review from the Post. The Posties were not swayed by Obama's proposal to drop income taxes for seniors making below $50,000. And to add an ouchie, the editorial praises a more modest plan offered by rival former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) : “Mr. Obama's Cookie Jar."
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401444_pf.html

The Boston Globe's Washington Bureau Chief Peter S. Canellos has a must read column about the Obama/Rev. Jesse Jackson relationship (Jena 6 is the news peg) over at Allies' Approaches Differ On Race Issue.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/09/25/allies_approaches_differ_on_race_issue

Over at the Los Angeles Times, Scott Martelle writes about the extensive Obama field operation. The main focus of the article is Nevada. My footnote to Martelle's story.... Illinois political figures, Dem activists and members of the donor community have been/soon will be traveling on a regular basis to Iowa and New Hampshire to act as Obama "validators," reaching out to voters months before the first vote. This article underscores the David Plouffe memo released Saturday (see previous posting) that Obama is stronger than polls show because he has "hidden voters." Martelle is at “Obama Gives Shoe-Leather Lessons To Nevada's Neighbors.
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama25sep25,0,6975957,print.story?coll=la-home-nation

An excerpt about Obama's "Drive to Change" Nevada operation...
His is the only Democratic presidential campaign using this tactic, according to local observers. The idea is to augment Nevadans' volunteer work ahead of the state's Jan. 19 caucuses while learning such campaign basics as how to run phone banks, knock on doors and collect data. Obama's campaign is running similar efforts in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - which also are holding early caucuses or primaries. ..

for more of Tuesday's Obama roundup, click below..