Big Metros Show Severe Declines in Latest Circ Report  —  NEW YORK The Audit Bureau of Circulations FAS-FAX report for the six-month period ending September 2006 released this morning confirmed yet again that major metros are struggling to show growth.  The losses are steep while the gains are meager.

The Story Behind the Polls  —  What's with the polls?  —  In 2004, the electorate that went to the polls or voted absentee was, according to the adjusted NEP exit poll, 37 percent Democratic and 37 percent Republican.  In party identification, it was the most Republican electorate since …

Midterm Vote May Define Rove's Legacy  —  Big Losses Could Dim Aura of Bush Adviser  —  By many calculations, Democrats are ready to make big gains in the midterm elections, enough to take over the House and possibly the Senate.  But White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten …

Hunter set to announce presidential bid  —  Some surprised by lawmaker's timing  —  WASHINGTON - With his prized committee chairmanship very much in peril, Rep. Duncan Hunter is poised to announce today that he is considering a long-shot run for the White House.

Write-in tightens race in District 22  —  Sekula-Gibbs running close to Lampson for the seat DeLay held  —  The Republican write-in effort to hold former Rep. Tom DeLay's congressional seat, once viewed as a long shot, has created a tight race, according to a Houston Chronicle-11 News poll.

In Key House Races, Democrats Run to the Right  —  In their push to win back control of the House, Democrats have turned to conservative and moderate candidates who fit the profiles of their districts more closely than the profile of the national party.  —  One such candidate, Heath Shuler …

Bush Appointee Said to Reject Advice on Endangered Species  —  A senior Bush political appointee at the Interior Department has rejected staff scientists' recommendations to protect imperiled animals and plants under the Endangered Species Act at least six times in the past three years, documents show.

'Go Ahead, Put Marks on Me'  —  Second Dancer: Alleged Duke Lacrosse Rape Victim Said to Bruise Her  —  ABC News Law & Justice Unit  —  The second dancer in the Duke rape case has said for the first time that the accuser told her to "go ahead, put marks on me" after the alleged attack.

Diversity's Oppressions  —  Why Iraq has proven to be so hard to pacify.  —  Iraq is not the first war with ugly surprises and bloody setbacks.  Even World War II, idealized in retrospect as it never was at the time—the war of "the greatest generation"—had a long series of disasters …

CNN hopes blogging is election-night blessing  —  An event aimed at getting instant reaction from online opinion makers is but a part of cable channels' efforts.  —  NEW YORK — Who says the mainstream media don't respect the blogosphere?  —  CNN is trying to incorporate bloggers directly …

Johnson Losing Her Hold?  —  Courant/UConn Poll Paints Picture Of Vulnerable Incumbent, Gives Murphy 4 Percentage Point Lead In 5th District  —  U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson's vulnerability as an incumbent - a subject of intense speculation all year in her central Connecticut district …

FOX's Col. Hunt endorses Jim Webb over George Allen  —  In a twist that left Sean Hannity almost speechless on H&C Friday night, FOX News military analyst Col. Hunt said that he preferred Jim Webb over George Allen in the Virgina race because he's a battle tested military man and Allen is just a football player.

France sends riot police to Marseille  —  MARSEILLE, France - France's interior minister sent riot police to patrol the southern port city of Marseille on Sunday after a group of marauding teenagers torched a bus, gravely burning a young woman.  —  French police braced for violence this weekend …

5 Myths About Turning Out The Vote  —  If you're an upstanding U.S. citizen, you'll stand up and be counted this Election Day, right?  Well, maybe not.  Just because Americans can vote doesn't mean they do.  But who shows up is what decides the tight races, which makes turnout …

Shadowy Nonprofit Attacks PA Dem from Left  —  Here's another thing to watch for this campaign season: front groups that attack Democrats from the left.  —  The Pennsylvania Senate race has provided a case in point.  TPM Reader TC, who lives there, sent us a scan of a mailer he received Saturday.