U.S. Shelves Nuclear-Missile Shield  —  Czech Interim Prime Minister Gets Midnight Call  —  WASHINGTON — The White House will shelve Bush administration plans to build a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, a move likely to cheer Moscow and roil the security debate in Europe.

Pelosi: Democrats facing toughest midterms ever  —  The 2010 congressional elections will be the “toughest midterm elections Democrats have ever faced,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) acknowledged today.  —  Pelosi made the statement in a fundraising pitch for the Democratic Congressional …

Baucus bill booed at Obama health rally  —  President Obama's mention of Sen. Max Baucus's healthcare proposal drew boos Thursday at a healthcare rally at the University of Maryland.  —  By contrast, the left-leaning crowd cheered Obama when he endorseed a public health insurance option …

HOUSE VOTES TO DEFUND ACORN-FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL  —  FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 718 (Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)  —  H R 3221 RECORDED VOTE 17-Sep-2009 2:06 PM  —  QUESTION: On Motion to Recommit with Instructions

Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?  —  On Sept. 12, a large crowd gathered in Washington to protest ... what?  The goals of Congress and the Obama Administration, mainly — the cost, the scale, the perceived leftist intent.  The crowd's agenda was wide-ranging, so it's hard to be more specific.

Tea Party Protesters Protest D.C. Metro Service  —  Brody Mullins reports on money and politics.  —  Protesters who attended Saturday's Tea Party rally in Washington found a new reason to be upset: Apparently they are unhappy with the level of service provided by the subway system.

ACORN Video: Prostitution Scandal in San Diego, CA  —  With 70 miles of stunning beaches and picture-perfect weather all year round, having fun during the summer in San Diego doesn't require a lot of money.  —  The city combines old-fashioned Mexican charm with a modern edge.

75 Percent of Oklahoma High School Students Can't Name the First President of the U.S.  —  OKLAHOMA CITY — Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.  —  The survey was commissioned …

Limbaugh: We need segregated buses  —  In a remark extraordinary even by the standards of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio heavyweight declared on his program Wednesday that the United States needed to return to racially segregated buses.

Expand the House?  —  WASHINGTON — In America, democracy follows the simple principle of one person, one vote, right?  —  Unless, that is, you live in Montana, where your vote carries a little more than half as much weight in the House of Representatives as that of someone living in Rhode Island.

Teen birth rates highest in most religious states  —  Link may be due to communities frowning on contraception, researchers say  —  U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates of teenagers giving birth, a new study suggests.

Obama as witch doctor: Racism or satire?  —  (CNN) — Posters portraying President Obama as a witch doctor may be racist, organizers of Tea Party protests say, but they reflect anger about where he is leading the country.  —  The posters, showing Obama wearing a feather headdress …

John Boehner struggles to keep up with base  —  “I would point out that the greatest anxiety about the president's policies tends to come from independents,” he said.  —  Long before the tea parties or Wilson's outburst, Boehner and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had struggled to moderate …

Ohio Plans to Try Again as Execution Goes Wrong  —  CINCINNATI — The State of Ohio plans to try again next week to execute a convicted rapist-murderer, after a team of technicians spent two hours on Tuesday in an unsuccessful effort to inject him with lethal drugs.

Creigh Deeds Explains His Position on Tax Hikes With Kerryesque Clarity — By: Jim Geraghty  —  I can't believe this guy might be my next governor.  Creigh Deeds, explaining his position on taxes, says at one point, “I'm not going to raise taxes, but I'm going to sign a transportation plan that raises new revenue.”

Reagan Coalition Redux  —  The first nine months of the Obama presidency have demonstrated a hard tack left on economic and domestic issues.  The President's domestic agenda has amounted to a new definition of Big Government including trillions in spending, bailouts, corporate takeovers …

Ron Paul and Sarah Palin: The Ross Perot moment  —  The most startling statistic to come out this month is the latest Washington Post/ABC poll that shows 43 percent of Americans now consider themselves to be independents.  —  Much of the celebrity thrill seems to be gone …