GOP ad casting call: ‘hicky’ W.Va. look  —  A Republican ad that shows a couple of regular-looking guys commiserating in a diner about West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) turns out to have been shot with actors, from a script, in Philadelphia.  —  But not just any actors …

Bank foreclosure cover seen in bill at Obama's desk  —  (Reuters) - A bill that homeowners advocates warn will make it more difficult to challenge improper foreclosure attempts by big mortgage processors is awaiting President Barack Obama's signature after it quietly zoomed through the Senate last week.

Lou Dobbs, American Hypocrite  —  Research support for this article was provided by the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.  —  In Lou Dobbs's heyday at CNN, when he commanded more than 800,000 viewers and a reported $6 million a year for “his fearless reporting and commentary,” …

Waivers Address Talk of Dropping Health Coverage  —  As Obama administration officials put into place the first major wave of changes under the health care legislation, they have tried to defuse stiffening resistance — from companies like McDonald's and some insurers …

Gingrich Can't Figure Out Why Food Stamps Are Stimulative: 'I Don't Understand...Liberal Math'  —  Newt Gingrich's new messaging strategy has been to tell Republican candidates to label Democrats “the party of food stamps,” while, claiming the GOP is in turn “the party of paychecks.”

Study: Expiration of Bush tax cuts will hit poorest hardest  —  Low-income workers stand to lose the most if lawmakers fail to reach a consensus on the Bush-era tax cuts, according to a new report from the Tax Foundation.  —  The report states that on Jan. 1 the doubling of the child tax credit …

Dem candidate fires back after racy photos surface  —  Democratic Virginia House candidate Krystal Ball (yes, that's her real name) went on the offensive Wednesday after racy photos of her surfaced online this week.  —  The photos, which were taken at a costume party, show Ball wearing …

New York Asks to Bar Use of Food Stamps to Buy Sodas  —  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg sought federal permission on Wednesday to bar New York City's 1.7 million recipients of food stamps from using them to buy soda or other sugared drinks.  —  The request, made to the United States Department of Agriculture …

MTV screening Obama's audience for views, looks  —  The Backstage.com listing:  —  PRESIDENT OBAMA TOWN HALL, MTV  —  MTV, BET and CMT are casting the audience for town hall meeting with President Obama.  Shooting Oct. 14, 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C.  —  Seeking—Audience Members: males & females, 18+.

The Man Who Never Was  —  Desperate to keep his Senate seat, John McCain repudiated his record, his principles, and even his maverick reputation, entrenching himself as the anti-Obama.  Which raises the issue of whether the leader so many Americans admired—and so many journalists covered—ever truly existed.

O'Donnell: I've been character assassinated  —  Newark, Delaware (CNN) — Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell is asking voters to give her a second look.  At a candidate forum sponsored by a group of local Republicans, O'Donnell blamed her campaign's recent troubles on unfair coverage in the “liberal media.”

REPUBLICANS STILL JUST DON'T LIKE THE UNEMPLOYED.... That Republican officials seem to actively dislike unemployed Americans isn't exactly new.  We're talking about a party that's waged war against jobless benefits and tried to kill jobs bills during a recession — which should tell the public quite a bit about the GOP's priorities.

Southern Baptist leader on yoga: Not Christianity  —  LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A Southern Baptist leader who is calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual attachments is getting plenty of pushback from enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice.  —  Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler …

U.S. companies buy back stock in droves as they hold record levels of cash  —  For months, companies have been sitting on the sidelines with record piles of cash, too nervous to spend.  Now they're starting to deploy some of that money - not to hire workers or build factories, but to prop up their share prices.

Media Matters: Criminal front group.  —  Who funds Media Matters?  Well, we know the loathsome George Soros was Media Matters' sugar daddy.  But it won't release its donor list, which it's not required to.  But it likes to play games with donor lists filed by others who are required to reveal names, like candidates.

The Surprising Democratic Firewall  —  Actions speak louder than words.  That's why Democratic control of the House is looking more tenuous by the day.  As the party begins to build its firewall to prevent a GOP takeover, top strategists are working to salvage seats that few considered …