Democrats Jump Into Six-Point Lead on Generic Ballot  —  At the same time, Republican enthusiasm for voting in November surges  —  PRINCETON, NJ — In the same week the U.S. Senate passed a major financial reform bill touted as reining in Wall Street, Democrats pulled ahead of Republicans …

Racist New Hampshire State House Candidate Advises Tea Party To Be More Open With Its Racism  —  While the tea party movement is desperately trying to fight off charges of “racist elements” from the NAACP, Ryan J. Murdough, a Republican candidate for New Hampshire State House, has no qualms about expressing his views on race.

It was the moment of greatest peril for then-Sen. Barack Obama's political career.  In the heat of the presidential campaign, videos surfaced of Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, angrily denouncing whites, the U.S. government and America itself.  Obama had once bragged of his closeness to Wright.

Video Shows USDA Official Saying She Didn't Give ‘Full Force’ of Help to White Farmer  —  Shown here is USDA Georgia official Shirley Sherrod.  (YouTube)  —  Days after the NAACP clashed with Tea Party members over allegations of racism, a video has surfaced showing an Agriculture Department …

Is Palin Lucky, Good, or ...  When she writes on her palm and uses words like refudiate, Sarah Palin is lucky.  That is, all her success, all the adulation, her approval rating with Republican voters — all of these pieces of evidence suggest that she needs more seasoning and is resonating …

Obey's axe hovers over Obama's $1.3B education program  —  House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey is taking on the White House over President Obama's Race to the Top education program.  —  Obey has proposed a 40 percent cut to the White House's $1.35 billion 2011 request for Race to the Top …

Nevada Senate Poll Preview  —  We're going to have Nevada Senate numbers tomorrow.  What I found most amazing in comparing where Harry Reid is now and when we last polled in January and found him down 51-41 to Sue Lowden is the numbers among moderates:  —  Sharron Angle is getting 9% …

Another Senate Charade  —  This note comes courtesy of my friend David Sirota out in Colorado.  This is a classic example of how the Senate works.  If the public understood better how rigged this game is, and how few issues are actually left to an honest vote in the legislature …

Spy Swap  —  The latest in a long line.  —  With the just completed exchange of spies between the United States and Russia, the media storm will undoubtedly soon disappear.  Amid all the accounts of such arcana as steganography, brush passes, and dead drops, the fascination with Internet photos …

Crist Uses His Old Party as a New Foil  —  Senate Push Gains as Florida Governor Sets Himself Off Against State's GOP, With Some Firepower From Obama Camp  —  Gov. Crist has shored up some conservative positions, such as his support for gun rights, while shifting to the left on core issues like abortion, education and gay rights.

Petraeus's Successor Is Known for Impolitic Words  —  WASHINGTON — To those who have served under him, Gen. James N. Mattis is the consummate Marine commander, a warrior who chooses to lead from the front lines and speaks bluntly rather than concerning himself with political correctness.

London ‘Times’ Sees 66% Traffic Drop, Post-Paywall  —  NEW YORK  —  Depending on its spin, News International could report its latest paywall experiment as retaining one-third of its traffic, or losing two-thirds of it.  —  According to data from Experian Hitwise, which charts Internet traffic …

Back From A Breather II  —  I love Dave Weigel and enjoyed all his posts in my absence and was delighted he took on the Trig question.  The aim of the Dish has been to air this debate on all sides in order to get as close as we can to the readily available evidence Sarah Palin insists on keeping from us.

Approval of Obama drops to 28 percent in new Arizona poll  —  PHOENIX - Most Arizonans no longer think Barack Obama is doing a decent job as president.  —  A new Behavior Research Poll released Sunday shows that nearly four out of every 10 Arizonans now rate Obama's performance as poor or very poor.

Bob Schieffer Defends Himself Against Fox News On New Black Panthers Story (VIDEO)  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  CBS News' Bob Schieffer defended himself against Fox News Sunday on CNN's “Reliable Sources.”  —  Schieffer, who interviewed Attorney General Eric Holder last weekend on …

Kerry holds closed-door climate talks  —  Sen. John Kerry led more closed-door talks on Monday with top electric utility and environmental officials in the search for a sweet spot on a bill capping greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants.  —  Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn …