Top Items:

“Pledge to America” Unveiled by Republicans (Full Text) — CBS News has obtained a final draft of House Republicans' legislative agenda for the next Congress, a 21-page “Pledge to America” that they will formally unveil Thursday morning at a Virginia hardware store.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Think Progress, Firedoglake, Michelle Malkin, The Hill, Weekly Standard, Shakesville, Speakeasy, Scared Monkeys, The Gavel, Liberal Values, GayPatriot, Don Surber, Pam's House Blend, Political Byline, Politics Daily, JOSHUAPUNDIT, NewsBusters.org, The Democratic Daily, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Gateway Pundit and AMERICAblog News
RELATED:

Perhaps the Most Ridiculous Thing to Come Out of Washington Since George McClellan — The House Republicans' “Pledge to America” is out. A thrill will run up the leg of a few Chris Matthews' types on the right. As Dan noted on Twitter, the Contract with America was 869 words and this is 21 pages.

The GOP's bad idea — “America is more than a country,” begins the GOP's ‘Pledge to America.’ America, it turns out, is an “idea,” an “inspiration,” and a “belief.” And the GOP wants to govern it. — Their policy agenda is detailed and specific — a decision they will almost certainly come to regret.
Discussion:
The Washington Independent, Economist's View and TPMDC

GOP ‘Pledge For America’ Director Lobbied For AIG, Exxon, Pfizer, Chamber — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — The Republican Party's 21-page blueprint, “Pledge to America,” was put together with oversight by a House staffer who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Think Progress, The Daily Caller, Wonk Room, Taylor Marsh, Politerati and Oliver Willis

We'll Take the Pledge — All year long, conservatives have been pressuring Republicans to release a Contract with America for 2010 — an updated version of the campaign platform that the party unveiled before its 1994 sweep of Congress. Thursday morning, Republican congressmen are responding …


A Critique of the GOP's New ‘Pledge to America’: Dudes. …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog and iOwnTheWorld.com

G.O.P. Cites Tax Cuts and Health Care as Main Focus
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Caucus, Outside the Beltway and CNN

White House quickly attacks GOP ‘Pledge’
Discussion:
Human Events, Weasel Zippers and Michelle Malkin

The Congressional Republican Pledge to Special Interests
Discussion:
The Hill, The Fix, Sweetness & Light and Firedoglake

Little-Known New York Attorney General Candidates Tied, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Gillibrand Up By Only 6 Points — Two little-known candidates for New York State Attorney General, Democratic State Sen. Eric Schneiderman and Republican Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Capital Tonight, Taegan Goddard's …, the albany project and Capitol Confidential
RELATED:

Gillibrand Leads by 1 Point in SurveyUSA Poll, 6 Points in Q Poll — Did Harry Reid curse Kirsten Gillibrand? — On September 20, the majority leader called New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand the “hottest” member of the Senate. But now, it seems that voters are starting to give her the cold shoulder.
Discussion:
Power Line


Two of Obama's closest advisers among those likely to leave in White House shuffle — In his nearly two years in office, President Obama has relied on a very small clique of advisers that serves as his most trusted sounding board on politics and policy. — Members of his staff describe Obama …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Politerati, Prairie Weather and The Page
RELATED:

Democrats may back off tax vote
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and Sweetness & Light

Cuomo Caught Lying About Voting For Bloomberg? — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There has been a dramatic development in the race for New York governor. — A new poll has Republican Carl Paladino within striking distance of Democrat Andrew Cuomo as voters say they want to elect someone who will stop the circus in Albany.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org, Moe Lane, Liberty Pundits Blog and Babalú Blog
RELATED:

Cuomo's Image as Unstoppable Suffers a Blow
Discussion:
Capitol Confidential, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

(2 of 2) — Asked for reasons he was weighing against running, Castle said such a campaign would be “logistically difficult” because voters would have to write in the name. — “I think automatically you have a diminished number of votes you'll get,” Castle said.
Discussion:
Ballot Box and TPMDC
RELATED:


Castle won't write off write-in bid
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Greenroom, National Review and TPMDC

Race-Baiting Dem Congresswoman Pits Latinos Against Asians on Spanish-Language TV — Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez appeared on Spanish-Language Univision to tell Latino voters that their Congressional seat was being taken by the Vietnamese. — Rep. Sanchez is in a hotly contested race …
RELATED:

Another Democrat's Shameful Racism
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog, protein wisdom and Big Journalism


KFC pays college women for ad space on buns — KFC wants folks to watch its backside. — Or, more precisely, the backsides of female college students it's recruiting to promote its hot new bunless Double Down sandwiches. — Women on college campuses are being paid $500 each to hand …


Amid Tension, China Blocks Vital Exports to Japan — HONG KONG — Sharply raising the stakes in a dispute over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain, the Chinese government has blocked exports to Japan of a crucial category of minerals used in products like hybrid cars, wind turbines and guided missiles.
Discussion:
Daniel W. Drezner, FP Passport, The Oil Drum, Telegraph, Angry Bear, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and naked capitalism


In Bucks County, a bitter poll for Murphy to swallow — U.S. REP. Patrick Murphy's “uh-oh” moment came last month, when his polling firm reported that Republican Mike Fitzpatrick was within striking distance of recapturing his 8th District seat in Bucks County. — This is his “oh, no” moment:
Discussion:
Ballot Box, Capitol Ideas … and CNN

A Claim of Pro-Islam Bias in Textbooks — HOUSTON — Some conservative members of the Texas Board of Education assert that the history books used in this state have a pro-Islamic bias, and they are upset about it. — Never shy about wading into the culture wars, they are planning …
Discussion:
Wonkette, msnbc.com, Jihad Watch and Ò"


For Many, Health Care Relief Begins Today — Sometimes lost in the partisan clamor about the new health care law is the profound relief it is expected to bring to hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been stricken first by disease and then by a Darwinian insurance system.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Wonk Room, Washington Post, Time, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and TalkLeft

Republicans seize on comments by Obama in new Woodward book — Republicans on Wednesday blasted President Obama for statements journalist Bob Woodward attributed to him in his new book. — Republicans were particularly incensed about Obama's belief that the U.S. could “absorb” …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Politico, American Power, Doug Ross and CNN
RELATED:

TheDC exclusive: Stephen Colbert to testify before House immigration subcommittee Friday — Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert is slated to testify at a congressional hearing Friday on immigration titled “Protecting America's Harvest,” two sources have told The Daily Caller.
Discussion:
newsfeed.time.com, CNN, Hot Air, All American Blogger, Pajamas Media, TPMDC, Betsy's Page, NewsBusters.org and Beltway Confidential

Chambliss' office says it was source of homosexual slur — WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss' office has determined it was indeed the source of a highly publicized homosexual-bashing slur on an Internet site. — But in a statement, Chambliss' office said it has not discovered exactly …
Discussion:
The Hill, Think Progress, CNN, Daily Kos and Gawker