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 …

What's The Difference Between You And Me?  —  If you watched the debate last night, it is clear that Harold Ford is making a conscious attempt to both placate the fears, and grab the votes, of white evangelicals.  —  Most of his statements, actions, and positions have gone a long way to that end.

Are You Kidding Me?  —  What in the hell is wrong with the left today?  What makes them think this is acceptable?  ANOTHER incident of putting someone in blackface. … This is sick.

U.S. Is Said to Fail in Tracking Arms for Iraqis  —  The American military has not properly tracked hundreds of thousands of weapons intended for Iraqi security forces and has failed to provide spare parts, maintenance personnel or even repair manuals for most of the weapons given to the Iraqis …

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 …

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 …

Lynne Cheney novel churns controversy in Senate race  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Lynne Cheney is deflecting talk of the sexual content in her novel "Sisters," a 25-year-old book that resurfaced in a campaign Friday and is stirring up controversy.  —  The novel, featuring a lesbian love affair …

'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.

The Elephant in the Room  —  FOR years, Sheri Langham looked at the Republican politics of her parents as a tolerable quirk, one she could roll her eyes at and turn away from when the disagreements grew a bit deep.  —  But earlier this year, Ms. Langham, 37, an ardent Democrat …

Dead voters continue to cast ballots in New York  —  Steven T. Vermilye was a home inspector and general contractor who grew up in Croton-on-Hudson - he and his father helped build the boat launch at Senasqua Park - went to college in Texas and settled in New Paltz in 1971.

Pakistan destroys al-Qaida-linked site  —  KHAR, Pakistan - Pakistani troops backed by missile-firing helicopters destroyed a purported al-Qaida-linked training facility in a northwestern tribal area near the Afghan border Monday, officials said.  At least 20 people were killed.

October 2006: McCaskill and Talent deadlocked  —  After all their ads, attacks and debates, Missouri's two major candidates for the U.S. Senate are heading into the campaign homestretch in roughly the same spot as they were almost a year ago — deadlocked.  —  U.S. Sen. Jim Talent …

Senate Democrats and Bill Clinton Stab Us In The Front  —  In the Lieberman-Lamont fight, there has been a fair amount of handwringing over why Lamont isn't blowing Joe out of the water.  Why, if Joe lost to Lamont, isn't he losing in the general?  Why did Lamont let Joe get away?

A Centurion's E-mails  —  Through the eyes of a frontline fighter: The Marine captain asked for a tougher assignment.  The one he got seemed all but impossible.  —  Courtesy of the Secher family  —  Weary Warrior: 'This war is futile,' wrote Secher after three months in Iraq.  But he still believed in it.

The Decline Of Trust  —  In 1995 Francis Fukuyama came out with a book called "Trust," in which he argued that a society's capacity for cooperation underpins its prosperity.  The same year, Robert Putnam's famous article, "Bowling Alone," lamented that the United States was depleting its stock of precious social capital.