Republican dirty tricks in NY 23  —  A brand-new organization calling itself Common Sense in America is up with a major television ad buy in the New York special election, praising Republican Dede Scozzafava as the “best choice for progressives.”  —  At first glance, the group's ad looks like it's an endorsement of Scozzafava.

EXCLUSIVE: Democratic donors rewarded with W.H. perks  —  Offered access to bowling alley, movie theater  —  During his first nine months in office, President Obama has quietly rewarded scores of top Democratic donors with VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers …

Fox News and White House: “Truce”  —  A very reliable source tells FishbowlDC that Fox News SVP Michael Clemente met with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs this morning and reached what some are calling a “truce.”  —  Clemente then met with the FNC Washington bureau and encouraged staff to remain “fair and balanced.”

Bayh: If 50 Senators Really Want a Public Option, They Can Get It with Reconciliation  —  Evan Bayh (D-IN) said on CBS's Washington Unplugged said that if fifty senators were dead set on getting a real public option they could always do that by using reconciliation.

Palin: Levi Johnston ‘Mean-Spirited,’ ‘Malicious,’ Selling ‘Body for Money’  —  ABC News' Rick Klein reports: Former Gov. Sarah Palin is blasting away at the father of her grandson, issuing a blistering statement today that impugns Levi Johnston's motives in continuing to speak out against the Palin family …

Reid, Durbin Open To Majority Vote To Beat Health Care Filibuster  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid works to cobble together the 60 votes he needs to overcome an expected Republican attempt to block a floor vote on health care, there is still …

Pelosi chooses healthcare bill with public option favored by centrists  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi is to unveil a health overhaul bill Thursday that includes the public health insurance option favored by her party's centrists.  —  Pelosi (D-Calif.) will introduce a plan similar to what a group …

Why running the White House Web site on Drupal is a political disaster waiting to happen.  —  In yet another repudiation of its predecessor, the Obama administration this week migrated the White House Web site to Drupal, the popular open-source Web site management software.

Obama Signs Hate Crimes Bill: “Another Step Forward In Creating A More Perfect Union”  —  This law champions the leftist value of partisan tolerance.  Medved pointed out on his radio show that the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill is named after a 21-year-old killed by two young men because of his homosexuality.

CNN Poll: 7 in 10 say Palin not qualified to be president  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - More than seven in 10 Americans think Sarah Palin is not qualified to be president, according to a new national poll.  —  Seventy-one percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey …

On Healthcare, Americans Trust Obama More Than Congress  —  By 48% to 37%, more trust the Democrats than the Republicans in Congress  —  PRINCETON, NJ — As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tries to advance a healthcare reform bill onto the Senate floor, just under half of Americans, 48% …

Parents banned from watching their children in playgrounds... in case they are paedophiles  —  Parents are being banned from playing with their children in council recreation areas because they have not been vetted by police.  —  Mothers and fathers are being forced to watch their children …

Pew Political IQ Poll: Republicans Consistently More Knowledgeable  —  You likely won't see this poll result elsewhere, so I thought I'd highlight it here.  This is a Pew Political IQ test conducted over the phone with 1,002 adults from Oct. 1-4.  They were asked 12 questions …

How Dems outmaneuvered GOP on ACORN  —  Last Thursday was a confusing day at the House Financial Services Committee.  The committee was preparing to vote on legislation to create a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency when a fight erupted over ACORN, the community organizing group …

Rush's Response: Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) Grills Goodell on Rush  —  Watch It!  YouTube  —  Rush's Response to Commissioner Goodell's Answer:  —  Of course, Goodell's a total weasel.  He had no answer about the Dolphins' owners so wouldn't even address the question …

Cheney backs Hutchison  —  How much more fun could the Texas governor's race get?  —  The latest from AP:  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney will throw his support behind U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's campaign for Texas governor.  —  Hutchison's campaign confirmed Wednesday …

Did Schwarzenegger drop 4-letter bomb in veto?  —  Phillip Matier,Andrew Ross, Chronicle Columnists  —  (10-27) 19:19 PDT SACRAMENTO — Did Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office use a coded veto message to send the f-bomb to Tom Ammiano, soon after the San Francisco assemblyman made news by telling the governor to “kiss my gay ass”?

Price to PepsiCo for Not Being in Court: $1.26 Billion  —  Company asks court to excuse corporate bureaucracy that buried legal document for weeks  —  What's the cost of not showing up to court?  For PepsiCo Inc., it's a $1.26 billion default judgment.  A Wisconsin state court socked …