Hotline Sort: McCain Keeps Distance From Mourdock

By Julie Sobel // October 25, 2012 | 8:14 a.m.

Welcome back to Hotline Sort. McCain wants Mourdock to apologize, the DCCC borrows $17 million, Sheldon Adelson donates $1.5 million to support George Allen, and Rubén Hinojosa forgets which amendment is second.

10) Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas, struggled when asked about the 2nd Amendment: "There are so many people in Washington who come and talk to us about the Constitution and the rights that they want kept sacred and that not do anything about them. (sic) That we not change them. That we not amend them," said Hinojosa, per the McAllen Monitor. "And I can tell you that -- I'm drawing a blank on the Second Amendment, but I think it's the weapons, isn't it? The NRA?"

9) The candidates in North Carolina's gubernatorial race met for their final debate last night. The Charlotte Observer called it "more subdued" than the first two. GOP nominee Pat McCrory seems on pace for an easy win.

8) Eleven ethics counts have been filed against embattled Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla. The Miami Herald:

Already facing FBI probes and a daunting re-election, U.S. Rep. David Rivera was charged Wednesday by state authorities with 11 counts of violating ethics laws for filing bogus financial disclosure forms, misusing campaign funds and concealing a $1 million consulting contract with a Miami gambling business while serving in the state Legislature.

7) GOP outside groups American Action Network and the Congressional Leadership Fund are going up with $4.5 million more in advertising in 13 House races, Washington Post's "The Fix" reports.

6) The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took out a $17 million line of credit for the election's home stretch, Politico reported.

5) Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., is up with a spot that features her speaking to the camera about the opportunities she's had in Nevada. "I believe Nevada's middle class deserve those same opportunities today, to have a good job and make sure our children get the best education," she says.

4) In Montana's Senate race, a judge has ordered the release of an edited version of an investigative report on GOP Rep. Denny Rehberg's 2009 boating accident. 3) Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has donated $1.5 million to the PAC supporting Republican George Allen in Virginia's Senate race. 2) Here's former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona's closing pitch in the Arizona Senate race, casting himself as independent. "I'm not worried about getting reelected, I'm not worried about whose party's in power," the Democrat says in the ad. "I'm going to go and work real hard, and make it easier and better for the struggling families in our country." 1) Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., says his continued support of Richard Mourdock is contingent on the Indiana GOP Senate nominee apologizing for his comments that pregnancy resulting from rape is God's intention. "It's when you don't own up to it that people will not believe in you," he said. President Obama also spoke about the comments while apeparing on the "Tonight Show." "You know, I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas," said the president. "Let me make a very simple proposition. Rape is rape. It is a crime, and so these various distinctions about rape don't make too much sense to me, don't make any sense to me." "The second thing that underscores it though is this is exactly why you don't want a bunch of politicians, mostly males, making decisions about women's health care decisions," he said. And former GOP Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour just weighed in on "CBS This Morning": "Well, I don't agree with what he said. I thought what he said was kind of crazy." VoteVets.org and the United Food and Commercial Workers are extending an ad buy in the race -- another week, for $320,000.

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