It's a Candidate Calling.  Again.  —  Republicans Deny Subterfuge as Phone Barrages Anger Voters  —  This year's heavy volume of automated political phone calls has infuriated countless voters and triggered sharp complaints from Democrats, who say the Republican Party has crossed the line …

For Democrats, Even a Gain May Feel Like a Failure  —  In most midterm elections, an out-of-power party picking up, say, 14 seats in the House and five seats in the Senate could call it a pretty good night.  —  But for Democrats in 2006, that showing would mean coming up one seat shy of taking control of both the Senate and the House.

Rove expresses frustration over Crist's no-show  —  CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) — White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove expressed frustration Monday over Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist's decision not to appear with President Bush at a rally in Pensacola.

Election season is bad time for slip of the quip  —  My face time with John Kerry has been brief but choice.  In 2003, I was at a campaign event in New Hampshire chatting with two old coots in plaid.  The senator approached and stopped in front of us.  The etiquette in primary season …

N.Y. Plans to Make Gender Personal Choice  —  Separating anatomy from what it means to be a man or a woman, New York City is moving forward with a plan to let people alter the sex on their birth certificate even if they have not had sex-change surgery.  —  Under the rule being considered …

Re: Santorum Poll Released by Indicted Republican Operative  —  This poll raised a variety of concerns when it showed up in my mailbox this morning.  See below:  —  What is a very likely voter?  I've never seen that term in a poll before.  I've seen likely voter, registered voter and eligible voter …

SEEING THE UNSEEN Part 1  —  Folks, as in The Olden Days, this is a long read.  It is an essay, not a blog entry.  Print it, copy and paste it, or just grab a cup of coffee and settle back.  —  Oh, and all the pictures enlarge with a click, if you are so inclined.  MMMnnnnn...pictures....

Saddam will be hanged 'by end-January'  —  By Ned Parker of The Times in Baghdad  —  The former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein will be hanged by the end of January, a senior member of Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa party predicted today as an around-the-clock curfew kept the lid on sectarian violence …

THE MYTH OF THE RATIONAL VOTER  —  There's an election tomorrow.  Do voters know what they're doing?  According to the typical economist — and many political scientists — the answer is "No, but it doesn't matter."  How could it not matter?  The main argument is that the public's errors cancel out.

To: Our Readers  —  Democrats are set to gain 19 House seats, two Senate seats, and five governorships in tomorrow's elections.  It is a sign of Republicans' sorry state that, at this point, this is actually a very favorable outlook for them.  —  In the last day of the midterm election campaign …

AP Exclusive: Election chief concerned about voter confusion  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Secretary of State Robin Carnahan raised concerns about potential voter confusion in Tuesday's elections, citing her own experience casting an absentee ballot as an indication that some poll workers may wrongly …

Sec. of Virginia State Board of Elections Finds Widespread Incidents of Voter Suppression  —  Threats of Incarceration, Changed Polling Locations, and Fliers to "Skip the Election."  —  Over the past several days, voters throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia have filed complaints …

Ortega Set To Reclaim Nicaraguan Presidency  —  Daniel Ortega, the former Marxist president and nemesis of President Ronald Reagan, appears to have won back Nicaragua's top job.  —  With 62 percent of precincts reporting, Ortega was comfortably leading the field of five presidential contenders …

Soldiers say Iraq pullout would be devastating  —  Leaving fledgling state could help insurgents, betray Iraqis, troops warn  —  Capt. Mike Lingenfelter, 32, of Panhandle, Texas, stands atop a large granary in Tall Afar, Iraq, a city where U.S. troops have been working to transfer control to Iraqi security forces.