Independents Favor Democrats Over Republicans  —  Poll Finds Votes Motivated by War Pessimism, Dissatisfation With GOP  —  Two weeks before midterm elections, Republicans are losing the battle for independent voters, who now strongly favor Democrats on the major issues facing the country …

Bartlett: 'It's Never Been A Stay The Course Strategy'  —  On CBS this morning, White House Counselor Dan Bartlett claimed that the administration has "never" had "a stay-the-course strategy."  Watch it:  —  President Bush made the same claim over the weekend.  It's not true.

Where'd The Dough Go, Joe?  —  Even though Lieberman mouthpiece Tammy Sun claimed that today the campaign would produce the ledger it is required by federal election law to keep detailing petty cash expenditures that would account for the questionable $387,000, she just announced …

Rush Limbaugh attacks Michael J. Fox: " ...he was either off the medication or he was acting.  He is an actor, after all."  —  Rush Limbaugh will say anything to attack anyone who challenges George Bush and his policies.  This time, his target is Michael J. Fox.  Meds are something Rush does have a little experience with.

The Economic Miracle as an Economic Mirage  —  WHATEVER happened to the good old days of cradle-to-grave security — of a steady job, a lifetime pension and paid-for health care along the way?  This is the question at the heart of "The Great Risk Shift" (Oxford University Press, $26) …

New poll shows Allen with narrow lead over Webb  —  RICHMOND — U.S. Sen. George Allen has ended a two-month freefall in voter support and regained a narrow lead in his re-election bid against Democrat Jim Webb, according to a new poll.  —  Allen drew 47 percent support and Webb received 43 percent …

REPORT: Bush Officials Were 'Rooting' For North Korea to Test Nuclear Weapon  —  Senior Bush administration officials wanted North Korea to test a nuclear weapon because it would prove their point that the regime must be overthrown.  —  This astonishing revelation was buried in the middle …

Active-Duty Troops Launch Campaign to Press Congress to End U.S. Occupation of Iraq  —  65 Members to Send "Appeals for Redress" Under the Military Whistle-blower Protection Act  —  Contact: Trevor Fitzgibbon, 202-246-5303, or Alex Howe, or Laura Gross, 202-822-5200, for Fenton Communications

A Jim Webb fib?  —  There's a lot to admire about Jim Webb.  He's a bonafide war hero who parlayed his wartime experiences into a successful career as a novelist and movie producer that made him millions.  He even managed to wrangle a load of Republican political appointments to enhance his stature.

Uneasy for a Reason  —  In the midst of the campaign month of October came the news last week that the population of the United States has passed the 300 million mark.  There's a sharp contrast between the negativity of the political climate and the robustness of our demographic increase …

Hell And Back  —  A chronicler of the storm is crushed by its sorrows.  A skeptic on depression is consumed by a disease he doesn't believe in.  A man teetering on the cliff finds his salvation in an unexpected place: modern medicine.  —  I pulled into  —  the Shell station on Magazine Street, my car running on fumes.

God knows why faith is thriving  —  A group of leading atheists is puzzled by the continued existence and vitality of religion.  —  As biologist Richard Dawkins puts it in his new book "The God Delusion," faith is a form of irrationality, what he terms a "virus of the mind."

Litigation Day  —  Control of Congress may be decided in the courts, starting Nov. 8.  —  Everyone is speculating about which party will control Congress after next month's voting.  But we may not know for a while.  We could see either party pursue the kind of lawsuits that Al Gore unleashed …

The Dow Jones Industrials Reach New High  —  Wall Street extended its October rally Monday as investors grew more optimistic about upcoming earnings reports and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it will cut capital spending to drive overall returns.  The Dow Jones industrials shot up more than 110 points and crossed 12,100 for the first time.

Debate Madness  —  The debate was very high temperature from the get — take a look at the YouTube of Lamont supporters marching with the Kiss Float beforehand.  There were people in the debate hall who were singing and distrupting both Lieberman and Lamont, and they were evidently Lyndon LaRouchites …

American Jews top hate-crime targets  —  Outnumber Muslim victims by 7-1 ratio, FBI stats show  —  WASHINGTON - Who hates whom in America?  —  If the latest FBI hate-crime statistics are any indication, of the 1,314 verified offenses motivated by religious bias, 68.5 percent were anti-Jewish.