Foley Consuming GOP As Elections Draw Near  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rep. E. Clay Shaw Jr. (R-Fla.) was trying to talk about security Friday at bustling Port Everglades, but with planes roaring overhead and containers slamming onto trucks, nobody could hear him.

Ex-Page Tells of Foley Liaison  —  The young man says the then-congressman eyed males in the program.  He says he was 21 when he and the Florida Republican had sex.  —  A former House page says he had sex with then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) after receiving explicit e-mails …

Democratic Party Fauxtoshops Veteran  —  I guess The Democratic Party couldn't find a photograph of a US veteran that had the right attitude for their web site's page slamming the Bush administration for not supporting the troops enough.  —  So they found a picture of a Canadian soldier …

STAR TRIBUNE SUCKER-PUNCHES REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE  —  The Minneapolis Star Tribune has finally done a front-page investigative report on a Congressional candidate in Minnesota's Fifth District.  Aha, you say, finally!  At last, the Strib has gotten around to reporting that DFLer Keith Ellison …

U.S. Casualties in Iraq Rise Sharply  —  Growing American Role in Staving Off Civil War Leads to Most Wounded Since 2004  —  The number of U.S troops wounded in Iraq has surged to its highest monthly level in nearly two years as American GIs fight block-by-block in Baghdad to try to check …

Jeb Bush Seeks Refuge From Pa. Activists  —  PITTSBURGH — Protesters greeted Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on his way to a campaign event for a Pennsylvania senator, and he briefly took refuge in a subway station supply closet to avoid the anti-Republican demonstrators.

The Big-Sky Dem  —  It's fun being governor of Montana.  Just watch Brian Schweitzer bouncing around the streets of Helena in the passenger seat of the state's official S.U.V., fumbling with wires, trying to stick the flashing police light on the roof.  When he spots some legislators on the sidewalk …

Democratic Lead Holding, As Is My Paranoia  —  From the always excellent Political Arthimetik, here is Charles Franklin's graph of the average generic congressional ballot during this election cycle:  —  The current Democratic advantage of just over 11% is within 1% of being as good for Democrats as it has ever been this cycle.

America ponders cutting Iraq in three  —  AN independent commission set up by Congress with the approval of President George W Bush may recommend carving up Iraq into three highly autonomous regions, according to well informed sources.  —  The Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by James Baker …

France: Schoolgirl Stoned In Playground For Not Observing Ramadan  —  With a hat-tip to reader Peter C, a truly horrific sign of the times comes from Lyon in the south of France, where a schoolgirl was stoned by Muslim students on Wednesday (October 4), for not following Ramadan.

Wife admits wrongdoing but won't be prosecuted  —  Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's wife forfeited her rights to the proceeds from the $2.55 million Rancho Santa Fe house she and her husband bought with the bribes that toppled him from office and sent him to prison.

Muslim cabbies refusing the blind and drinkers  —  MUSLIM taxi drivers are refusing to carry blind passengers with their guide dogs or anyone carrying alcohol.  —  At least 20 dog-aided blind people have lodged discrimination complaints with the Victorian Taxi Directorate.  Dozens more have voiced their anger.