Reid calls Gillibrand the ‘hottest’ member at fundraiser  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had an unusual form of praise for New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, this morning at the fundraiser Mayor Bloomberg hosted for him at his townhouse - referring to her as “the hottest member” …

Election 2010: Alaska Senate  —  Alaska Senate: Miller (R) Holds Double-Digit Lead Over McAdams (D), Murkowski  —  Republican Joe Miller attracts 42% of the vote in the first Rasmussen Reports poll of the Alaska Senate race since GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski announced her write-in campaign to try to keep her job.

Major health insurers to stop offering new child-only policies  —  Some of the country's most prominent health insurance companies have decided to stop offering new child-only plans, rather than comply with rules in the new health-care law that will require such plans to start accepting children …

Watchdog: Christine O'Donnell “Clearly a Criminal”  —  Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, today filed a pair of complaints concerning Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's use of more than $20,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses.

Assessing the G.O.P. and the Tea Party  —  Whatever the outcome of the Nov. 2 elections, you can be certain that commentators around the country will be fixated on the impact of the Tea Party movement.  If Republican candidates do well on Election Day — and particularly if Tea Party-backed candidates …

Promise to Repeal Gay Ban Faces Filibuster  —  In his State of the Union address last January, President Obama repeated a campaign-trail promise to the gay community.  —  By the end of the year, Mr. Obama said, he would seek a full repeal of the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy …

A Message from Israel  —  Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, spoke at three Washington, D.C. synagogues on Yom Kippur—at Adas Israel at Kol Nidrei services last Friday night, then at Washington Hebrew Congregation Saturday morning and at Kesher Israel in the afternoon.

Close Race in West Virginia  —  PPP's first look at the West Virginia Senate contest finds a very tight race with John Raese up 46-43 on Joe Manchin, a result within the poll's margin of error.  —  The contest provides a fascinating choice for voters in the state who love their Democratic Governor …

Twitter Mouseover Security Flaw Affecting Thousands of Users [WARNING]  —  Update (10:00 a.m. ET): A spokesperson for Twitter tells us “This should now be fully patched and is no longer exploitable.”  —  A new Twitter security flaw has been widely exploited on thousands of Twitter accounts …

Speaker Pelosi would take big pay cut if Republicans take back the House  —  Call it a redistribution of wealth, Washington-style.  —  If Republicans win the House this fall, House GOP leader John Boehner (Ohio) stands to get a pay raise and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) salary would be cut.

Madam President?  It could happen  —  Speculation that she will run for President in 2012 is reaching fever pitch.  But what do those who watched Sarah Palin grow up make of her meteoric ascent - and ruthless ambition?  By Shushannah Walshe  —  The first thing you notice …

Can I ‘call him an a—hole?’  Andrew Cuomo in tizzy after GOP foe Carl Paladino questions his manhood  —  ALBANY - Stung by Carl Paladino's below-the-belt attacks, an angry Andrew Cuomo summoned his war council on Monday to figure out how to fight back against his slash-and-burn GOP rival.

Americans Want Their Leaders To Stand And Fight  —  Nearly half of America — including nearly two-thirds of Republicans and 53 percent of independents — admires political leaders who refuse to compromise.  This is further evidence that the current political atmosphere is not merely contentious …

Aunt Zeituni: ‘The System Took Advantage Of Me’  —  President Obama's Aunt Speaks Exclusively With WBZ-TV  —  BOSTON (WBZ) ― “If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen.”  Those are the words from 58-year-old Zeituni Onyango of Kenya in a recent exclusive interview with WBZ-TV.

The Brothers Koch and AB 32  —  Four years ago, bipartisan majorities in the California Legislature approved a landmark clean energy bill that many hoped would serve as a template for a national effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil and mitigate the threat of climate change.

Afghan Boys Are Prized, So Girls Live the Part  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Six-year-old Mehran Rafaat is like many girls her age.  She likes to be the center of attention.  She is often frustrated when things do not go her way.  Like her three older sisters, she is eager to discover …

Fearing a soaring deficit, many analysts favor letting Bush tax cuts expire  —  The tax cuts at the heart of a fierce pre-election battle on Capitol Hill were designed when the economy was booming, the federal budget was in surplus and George W. Bush was campaigning for president on a promise to return the extra cash to taxpayers.

Shelby: GOP majority would ‘revisit’ Wall Street reform law  —  A Republican majority in the Senate would “revisit” the Wall Street reform bill passed earlier this year, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said Tuesday.  —  Shelby, the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee …

Winning in '10 Means Utilizing the Power of 10  —  Recovery Begins on Election Day 2010.  —  There is a rising political tide in the United States, a wave that could usher in the biggest realignment of the U.S. Congress in decades.  —  But in order for the American people to defeat the job killers …

Spelling Murkowski  —  You misspelled the misspelling.  They wrote “Murkwski,” not “Murkuwski.”  —  Golly, I've never seen Murkie so animated and passionate, and driving so forcefully toward a goal.  Where was all this when she was on the Hill, acting like a mild-mannered middle-aged moderate Republican.

Mosque ally's vid shows ‘Hez’ true colors  —  Tweet  —  Among the Islamic clerics defending plans for a mosque near Ground Zero yesterday was an outspoken critic of Israel who enthusiastically signaled his support for terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah during a rally a decade ago.

Republican lawmaker: Reagan would face ‘tough time’ in today's GOP  —  President Ronald Reagan, a Republican icon, might not be welcome in today's GOP, Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) suggested Tuesday.  —  Inglis, a Palmetto State Republican who was defeated earlier this year in a conservative primary challenge …