Statement of Senator John Kerry  —  As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.  —  I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted …

Bush says Rumsfeld, Cheney should stay  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush said Wednesday he wants Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney to remain in his administration until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-criticized members of his team.

In Lamont Race, Bitter Democrats Do Pre-Mortems  —  Lieberman Seems to Hug Big Lead in Connecticut; Ned Speaks in Past Tense; Lefties Blame Wolfson; Brazile: Bloggers 'Give You Wind But Not Sail'  —  Ned Lamont, Connecticut's Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, crossed the rainy street alone.

PR 101  —  I can see we're going to have to set up some sort of "Democratic PR school" soon.  There seem to be a few remedial lessons they are lacking, as the John Kerry incident demonstrates.  —  First of all — I don't care if John Kerry was eating live babies on TV …

Rush's Interview with President George W. Bush  —  RUSH: Mr. President.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Hey, Rush, how are you?  —  RUSH: Never better.  It's a thrill to have you on the program today and many thanks for making time for us.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir, for giving me a chance to visit with you.

Poll Shows Iraq War Is Voters' Main Concern  —  A substantial majority of Americans expect Democrats to reduce or end American military involvement in Iraq if they win control of Congress next Tuesday, and say Republicans would maintain or increase troop levels to try to win the war if they hold …

An Administration Ally Goes Off-Message  —  Sensing GOP vulnerability, the Democrats' campaign ads focus on voter unhappiness with the Iraq war.  The Republicans, in turn, prefer to talk about keeping us safe from terrorism.  —  So eyebrows popped up last week when none other than Richard Perle …

Video: Kerry's speech at the Angelides event, uncut(?)  —  I don't know for sure that it's uncut but it looks that way.  —  The pertinent material comes right at the beginning.  He takes the podium at 1:30, delivers a pair of feeble Bush jokes, then seems to transition into the serious part …

Nearly half of Americans uncertain God exists: poll  —  Nearly half of Americans are not sure God exists, according to a poll that also found divisions among the public on whether God is male or female or whether God has a human form and has control over events.

Republican House leader blames troops for Iraq mess  —  According to the #2 Republican in the US House, Congressman John Boehner, the Iraq mess is all the fault of the US troops on the ground in Iraq.  Boehner only moments ago had the following to say about who is to blame for Iraq:

Allen's Fumbles, Romney's Gain  —  Even before the votes are counted, over the Republican Party a "thick darkness broodeth" — words from a Victorian hymn, for a party with a Victorian tendency.  But one Republican, who is not running for anything this year, will emerge from this bruising season with enlarged prospects.