Are the Faithful Losing Faith?  —  Two weeks till midterms, the NEWSWEEK poll shows Republicans in danger of losing a big chunk of their base.  And a growing consensus for a bread-and-butter Democratic agenda.  —  Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images  —  Party Time?  Democrats are feeling optimistic about Election Day.

Lawmaker Outraged by Sniper Footage on CNN  —  SAN DIEGO — CNN has become "the publicist for an enemy propaganda film" by broadcasting a video showing an insurgent sniper in Iraq apparently killing an American soldier, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said here Friday.

Tight race for Hyde seat, latest poll shows  —  Incumbent Bean leads in 8th Congressional District  —  The candidates for the west suburban congressional seat being vacated by retiring Republican Rep. Henry Hyde are locked in a tight contest while first-term Rep. Melissa Bean holds …

Liberal darling  —  Megan McArdle tells us that the Economist has moved all of its material from behind the paywall (if you're not a subscriber, you need to watch an ad to get in).  It seems to me that this is good news for the Economist; I can't imagine it'll lose many subscribers, and it may gain some.

Why 112 cars are burning every day  —  A year after the Paris riots violence and despair continue to grip the immigrant suburbs  —  FLAMES lick around a burning car on a tiny telephone screen.  Omar, 17, a veteran of France's suburban riots, replayed the sequence with pride.  "It was great.

Survivor!  —  The GOP Victory  —  JUBILANT DEMOCRATS SHOULD RECONSIDER their order for confetti and noisemakers.  The Democrats, as widely reported, are expecting GOP-weary voters to flock to the polls in two weeks and hand them control of the House for the first time in 12 years — and perhaps the Senate, as well.

Atheist gifts pontifical school in will  —  ROME - An Italian journalist and self-described atheist who died last month has left most of her books and notes to a pontifical university in Rome because of her admiration for Pope Benedict XVI, a school official said Saturday.

The Worst Fears Of The Netroots Continue To Be Realized  —  It looks increasingly clear that Joe Lieberman is going to keep his Senate seat (read on): … Alas for the netroots, it looks increasingly clear that he will not.  It should come as no surprise that Democrats are now telling Lieberman …

We are biased, admit the stars of BBC News  —  It was the day that a host of BBC executives and star presenters admitted what critics have been telling them for years: the BBC is dominated by trendy, Left-leaning liberals who are biased against Christianity and in favour of multiculturalism.

With Guarded Cheer, Democrats Dare to Believe This Is Their Time  —  There is something unusual bubbling in Democratic political waters these days: optimism.  —  With each new delivery of bad news for Republicans — another Republican congressman under investigation, another Republican district conceded …

The Woman Who Would Be Speaker  —  Uncompromising Pelosi Set to Seize Opportunity  —  On election night 2004, Nancy Pelosi faced a painful reality: Her party was again a big loser, failing to win the presidency and losing three more House seats.  Pundits were suggesting Pelosi should accept …

Home Office plans floating jails  —  Home Secretary John Reid has been accused of panic measures over plans to use prison ships to ease overcrowding in jails in England and Wales.  —  The government has advertised for contractors to provide up to 800 places on ships.

Dem leak suspect identified and Harman's in hot water  —  Fox News and the Los Angeles Times report on the identity of the Democrat leak suspect—a staffer in the office of House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.).  LA Times: … Clarice Feldman's gathering info on Hanauer.

Gay sex and motorbikes  —  If an activity brings satisfaction to those who take part in it and harms no one, it can't be immoral  —  In recent years the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and Spain have recognised marriages between people of the same sex.  Several other countries recognise civil unions with similar legal effect.

Many Iraqis Look to Gunmen as Protectors  —  Behind the maze of men with guns in Iraq is a very simple truth: their barrels offer protection, something Iraqis say the government has never given them.  —  On Friday, the web wound tightly around the southern city of Amara …