Limbaugh Says Actor Fox Exaggerates Effects of Disease in Ads  —  Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh attacked actor Michael J. Fox for inserting his halting voice into the U.S. Senate campaign in Missouri, suggesting Fox was "acting" in a commercial where he's shown shaking …

The Note: Pending: Six Days of November Surprises  —  It Isn't a "Surprise" If You Expect It  —  By MARK HALPERIN, DAVID CHALIAN, TEDDY DAVIS, TAHMAN BRADLEY, and EMILY O'DONNELL with KARUNA SESHASAI, MONA RAPHAEL, and MICHELLE DUBERT  —  How the (liberal) Old Media plans to cover the last two weeks of the election:

Is Ken Mehlman kidding?  We should ask Harold Ford  —  The answer to Josh's question is no. He's a guy who isn't afraid to smear people with racism.  He's a rich white guy who can spot insanely offensive racism instantly—except when he has a hand in it.  He only pays the bills …

It's the Politics, Stupid  —  Gail Collins couldn't do bupkis for women in journalism.  That's because there's only so much journalists themselves can do about the problems of women and punditry.  —  Gail Collins stepped down earlier this month as editor of the New York Times opinion pages.

Some Voting Machines Chop Off Candidates' Names  —  Computer Glitch Affects Voters in 3 Jurisdictions; Error Cannot Be Fixed by Nov. 7  —  U.S. Senate candidate James Webb's last name has been cut off on part of the electronic ballot used by voters in Alexandria, Falls Church and Charlottesville …

Rep. Reynolds set to face ethics panel  —  WASHINGTON - The House Republican campaign chairman and the speaker of the House are likely to be at odds this week as they testify about the handling of ex-Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record)'s come-ons to male pages.

Bush's new tack steers clear of 'stay the course'  —  Phrase became liability for GOP in election year … Today show  —  President Bush and his aides are annoyed that people keep misinterpreting his Iraq policy as "stay the course."  A complete distortion, they say.

Correction: Joe and 'Stay the Course'  —  Senator Joseph I. Lieberman has used the phrase "stay the course" several times in discussing the war in Iraq in recent years, echoing a key phrase of the White House, contrary to an article published today in The Times.

Solidly Republican, Suddenly in Doubt  —  COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — It is, perhaps, the political equivalent of hell freezing over in the interior West.  —  This red state where conservative Republicans routinely wipe the floor with hapless Democrats has a Republican running for Congress who just might lose.

Conyers Hones A Case Against President Bush  —  WASHINGTON — The Democratic leader of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is promising that her party has no plans to pursue impeachment of President Bush if it wins a majority in next month's elections.  But she intends to allow the House Judiciary Committee …

Obama Offers More Variations From the Norm  —  Senator Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat who said Sunday that he was considering running for president in 2008, created a little sunlight on Monday between himself and both Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton.  —  For one thing, he said that as a youth he had inhaled.

U.S. Officials: Iraqi Security Could be Ready in 12-18 Months  —  Ambassador Says Iraqi Political Leaders 'Must Step Up'  —  Top U.S. officials in Iraq today predicted that Iraqi security forces could be largely self-sufficient within 12 to 18 months and said the Iraqi government is building …

Seats in Danger, Democrats Proclaim Their Conservatism  —  Listening to Congressional candidates in middle Georgia, it is easy for someone to think that he is in a different year and, possibly, a different country.  —  Democrats defend themselves against accusations that they are rubber stamps for their party's leadership.

Elections could be most costly in US history  —  Next month's midterm elections will be the most costly congressional races in US history, with business interests contributing three-quarters of the estimated $2.6bn that will be spent, says a non-partisan research group.

Abandon All Hope  —  This child was weak—perhaps injured or dying—as this photo was taken in the Darfur region of Sudan in 2004.  He may already be dead.  One thing is certain; the future of millions of children throughout the Middle East just like him will be affected by you very soon.

Rumsfeld Agrees Bush Is 'Not Backing Away From Stay The Course'  —  Faced with widespread disappoval of its Iraq policy, the Bush administration launched a coordinated effort this week to convince Americans it has never had a stay-the-course strategy in Iraq.  On Sunday, President Bush said, "We've never been stay the course."