CNN's Rick Sanchez Calls Jon Stewart ‘Bigot’  —  Cuban-American anchor Rick Sanchez came on Stand Up! with Pete Dominick today for a loose exchange on current events, media, and journalism.  Throughout much of the interview, the discussion touched on race.  To our surprise, at various points …

Obama: 'I'd appreciate a little break'  —  It's often remarked that President Obama has enjoyed a number of getaways, vacations, and mini-vacations during his 20 months in office.  But at a Democratic fundraiser Thursday night, the president said, “I'd appreciate a little break.”

UPDATED: Assistant AG takes leave of absence after national attention over blog against U-M student body president  —  One would expect that the current Republican attorney general contender, along with Rick Snyder and other major GOP state candidates, had a word or two with Mike Cox.

Democrats will hold the House and Senate  —  For Democrats, it's Rove time: rally the base and save Congress  —  Maybe I'm wrong.  —  In fact, maybe I'm really, really wrong, which is the reaction I hear when I dare even to broach this notion to commentators and political strategists in both parties.

Coalition Picks Maliki in Move That May End Iraq Stalemate  —  BAGHDAD — After nearly seven months of deadlock, Iraq's prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, took a decisive step toward winning a second term, gaining the endorsement of a Shiite bloc that had until recently opposed returning him to power, officials from his party said.

TARP Bailout to Cost Less Than Once Anticipated  —  WASHINGTON — Even as voters rage and candidates put up ads against government bailouts, the reviled mother of them all — the $700 billion lifeline to banks, insurance and auto companies — will expire after Sunday at a fraction of that cost …

The Uncanny Accuracy of Polling Averages*, Part 2: What the Numbers Say  —  This is the second article in a three-part series in which I'm addressing a question from a reader whom I'm calling Skeptical Sam.  —  Sam wondered why our election forecasts seem so confident.

Report gives stimulus package high marks  —  The massive economic stimulus package President Obama pushed through Congress last year is coming in on time and under budget - and with strikingly few claims of fraud or abuse - according to a White House report to be released Friday.

The demographics of 2010  —  Some nice demographic polling out from Gallup today.  Over the past seven months, middle-age voters have been pretty stable in their preferences between Democrats and Republicans.  It's the young and the old who've diverged, with the young swinging toward …

Why is Obama sending troops to Afghanistan?  —  From the beginning, the call to arms was highly uncertain.  On Dec. 1, 2009, commander in chief Barack Obama orders 30,000 more Americans into battle in Afghanistan.  But in the very next sentence, he announces that an American withdrawal will begin after 18 months.

U.S. apologizes for Guatemala STD experiments  —  Government researchers infected patients with syphilis, gonorrhea without their consent in the 1940s  —  U.S. government medical researchers intentionally infected hundreds of people in Guatemala, including institutionalized mental patients …

Insurer Cuts Health Plans as New Law Takes Hold  —  The Principal Financial Group announced on Thursday that it planned to stop selling health insurance, another sign of upheaval emerging among insurers as the new federal health law starts to take effect.  —  The company, based in Iowa …

Church's protests at military funerals a free-speech test for Supreme Court  —  TOPEKA, KAN. - A filmmaker several years ago tracked Shirley Phelps-Roper and her family members as they went about praising God for killing U.S. soldiers and picketing their funerals - their way of putting the nation on notice about the Almighty's wrath.

The Austerity Caucus  —  If I had as much money as Meg Whitman, I'd probably have a more exuberant house.  Hers is perfectly nice.  But at a time when other Silicon Valley moguls were installing underground squash courts, arcade-size game rooms and other gewgaws, she stuck with a New England-style colonial.

O'Donnell: 'God's Keeping Me in the Race'  —  In an exclusive interview with CBN News, Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell said God is keeping her in the race.  —  She made the statement before she stopped doing interviews at the advice of Tea Party power broker Sarah Palin.

The Twister of 2010  —  America's political landscape will never be the same.  —  On a recent trip to Omaha, Neb., I found a note prominently displayed in my hotel room warning of the possibility of “extreme weather” including “tornadic activity.”  The clunky euphemism was no doubt meant …

Despite Annoying Ads, Scott Leads In Florida Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Obama Approval 16 Points In The Hole  —  Republican Rick Scott holds a 49 - 43 percent lead over State Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the Democrat, in the race to become Florida's next governor …

Senate votes to turn down volume on TV commercials  —  WASHINGTON - Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it'll soon become law.  —  The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday …

News Corp. gave $1 million to pro-GOP group  —  News Corp., the parent company of Fox News, contributed $1 million this summer to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the business lobby that has been running an aggressive campaign in support of the Republican effort to retake Congress, a source close to the company told POLITICO.

“You Elected Me To Do What Was Right”  —  Obama's speech to Gen44 tonight knocked my socks off.  It's streaming on CSPAN here.  If you've forgotten why many of you worked your ass off for this guy, and felt hope for the first time in many years, watch it.  He deserves criticism when necessary …

Karl Rove reprises role as Democrats' bogeyman  —  That headline — like so many others on the subject - overstated Rove's involvement , according to Jonathan Collegio, spokesman for American Crossroads, who called Democratic efforts to target Rove “desperate.”

2012 hopefuls are not showing the Tea Party candidates the money  —  Senate GOP candidates backed by the Tea Party movement have received much less financial support than more established candidates from their party's leading contenders for the White House.  —  The GOP figures jockeying …

G.O.P. Stays on Upswing in Senate Forecast  —  Republican chances of taking over the Senate have improved again in this week's forecast.  They are now 22 percent — up from 18 percent last week and 15 percent two weeks ago.  Republican chances are now approaching the point where they stood prior …

A GOP unknown is in striking range of Barney Frank  —  Sean Bielat, the Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts' 4th District, has had just one conversation with his Democratic opponent, Rep. Barney Frank.  —  It was in August, at a parade in New Bedford.