Woodward Book Says Afghanistan Divided White House  —  WASHINGTON — Some of the critical players in President Obama's national security team doubt his strategy in Afghanistan will succeed and have spent much of the last 20 months quarreling with one another over policy, personalities and turf, according to a new book.

CONFIRMED: Sen. Saxby Chambliss Admits “All Faggots Must Die” Comment Came From His Atlanta Headquarters  —  I've just gotten off the phone with Atlanta Journal-Constitution political writer Jim Galloway who says that Sen. Saxby Chambliss has confirmed that the “All faggots must die” …

Summers Expected to Leave White House After Election  —  White House officials expect Lawrence Summers to leave his job as the president's National Economic Council director after November's congressional elections, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Harry Reid's botched battles  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hoped the defense policy bill would help make a final pre-election argument for Democrats while energizing the base on gay rights and immigration.  —  But what he got was a failed vote and a mix of frustration and disappointment from the people he was trying to help.

O'Donnell: Coons has made ‘some very anti-American statements’  —  Tea Party-backed Christine O'Donnell (R) took aim at New Castle County Executive Chris Coons (D) Tuesday night during an appearance on Fox News.  —  O'Donnell referenced an article Coons wrote in college in which he referred to himself as “a bearded Marxist.”

Paladino Trails Cuomo By 6 Points In New York Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Small Tea Party Movement Backs Republican 4-1  —  Republican Carl Paladino, aided by a 4 -1 margin among Tea Partiers, trails New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic candidate for Governor …

Rep. Jackson: I did nothing wrong but ‘deeply sorry’ over ‘social acquaintance’  —  Chicago congressman vows to remain in office in wake of Sun-Times report regarding fund-raiser  —  U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) said Tuesday he is “deeply sorry” for having “disappointed some supporters” …

Murkowski brushes off loss of committee, leadership posts  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) brushed off Republicans' plans to strip her of a top committee spot and her leadership post, saying she was focused on winning reelection.  —  Murkowski said she was “putting everything on the line” …

Why Generic Ballots May Underestimate Democrats  —  In the last couple of posts on our House forecasts, I've noted that the generic congressional ballot tends to show worse results for Democrats than other indicators like polls of individual House races.  The generic ballot, as of last week …

McCain Ignores Testimony Before His Committee, Claims Military Doesn't ‘Seek Out’ Orientation  —  This afternoon, immediately after the Senate failed to invoke cloture on a defense authorization measure which included an amendment to gradually repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell …

Obama: “Mexicans” Were Here “Long Before America Was Even An Idea”  —  “Long before America was even an idea, this land of plenty was home to many peoples.  The British and French, the Dutch and Spanish, to Mexicans, to countless Indian tribes.  We all shared the same land.”

Al Franken Chokes Up Over Don't Ask, Don't Tell (VIDEO)  —  Shortly after Senate Republicans and two Democrats blocked a vote to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Sen. Al Franken gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor.  —  Franken (D-MN) told a story about one of his trips to entertain …

Who You Gonna Believe?  —  I went through my mail today, and got the usual batch of letters declaring that I'm wrong about everything, and that we should do the opposite of anything I say.  Hey, it's a free country.  —  But I found myself wondering, as I often do, about the determination …

No peace in NY: Fayyad-Ayalon meeting ends on sour note  —  Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad leaves meeting with Danny Ayalon angry, after Israel's deputy foreign minister demands that meeting summary refer to notion of ‘two states for two peoples’  —  WASHINGTON - Palestinian Prime …

GOP House candidate invokes idea of ‘victory mosque’ in campaign ad  —  A Republican House candidate claims in new ad that Muslims want to build “victory mosque” near Ground Zero.  —  The building of an Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero has faded from the midterm campaign conversation …

Bill Clinton: Russian immigrants and settlers obstacles to Mideast peace  —  Russian immigrants to Israel have emerged as a central obstacle to achieving a Middle East peace deal, according to former President Bill Clinton.  He voiced fears that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) …

GOP sends a message on spending  —  Republicans will try to block money requested by the Obama administration to implement Democrats' signature Wall Street and healthcare reforms in a stopgap spending measure expected to clear Congress next week.  —  The GOP is seizing on the administration's …