THE HILL POLL: Republicans are up in 8 of 10 open House districts  —  Republicans are winning eight out of 10 competitive open House seats surveyed in a groundbreaking new poll by The Hill.  —  Taken on top of 11 GOP leads out of 12 freshman Democratic districts polled last week …

GOP governor hopeful Carl Paladino cashed in on Buffalo gay clubs Cobalt, Buddies II  —  Carl Paladino says kids shouldn't be “brainwashed” into thinking it's okay to be gay or be taken to a “disgusting” gay pride parade.  —  But he had no problem when his son, William, ran Cobalt …

Michelle Rhee to announce resignation as D.C. schools chancellor on Wednesday  —  D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee will announce Wednesday that she is resigning at the end of this month, bringing an abrupt end to a tenure that drew national acclaim but that also became a central issue …

Obama administration appeals gay marriage ruling  —  (Reuters) - The Obama administration decided on Tuesday to appeal a judge's rulings that prevented the U.S. government from banning same-sex marriages, a move that could undermine support among President Barack Obama's traditional liberal base ahead of a key election.

Truth Lies Here  —  How can Americans talk to one another—let alone engage in political debate—when the Web allows every side to invent its own facts?  —  THIS PAST AUGUST, the left-leaning San Francisco-based Web site AlterNet posted a remarkable scoop: members of a group calling itself …

Attacks Get Personal in California Gubernatorial Debate  —  ABC News' David Wright reports:  —  The two candidates for California governor sparred over taxes, illegal immigration, and whether it's fair game to describe one another as “whores” in their final campaign debate at Dominican College in the San Francisco Bay Area.

20 DAYS OUT - Obama to Peter Baker: 'There's no such thing as shovel-ready projects' ... Maps Obama 2.0 with Rouse, Messina — GOP groups launch $50 million ‘House surge’  —  PLAYBOOK ODDS FIXING: If midterms were held today, Republicans would pick up 45 House seats (40 needed for majority …

Mexican investigator in Falcon Lake probe beheaded  —  The severed head of a Mexican police commander investigating the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen David Michael Hartley on Falcon Lake was delivered Tuesday to Mexican military in a suitcase, authorities said.

‘Spirit of Political Disclosure’?  White House Press Sec once part of group that refused to disclose donors  —  The White House plans to continue attacking groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other conservative organizations for not disclosing the names of donors behind political ads.

Vice President Tries to Energize Democrats  —  PITTSBURGH — Joseph R. Biden Jr., unyielding optimist, Democratic cheerleader and vice president of the United States, wants Americans to know that the midterm elections will not be a Republican rout.  And after Democrats win in 2010 …

Chile Rejoices as Miners Taste Freedom  —  President Sebastián Piñera of Chile embraced Florencio Ávalos, the first of the miners trapped in the San José Mine to come to the surface.  Mr. Piñera has staked his presidency on the rescue.  More Photos »

Obama's related to Palin  —  NEW YORK - President Barack Obama has family ties to none other than Sarah Palin, according to the genealogists at Ancestry.com, a discovery the family history site made when looking for connections between political foes.  —  And that's not all …

MAINE: Nazi symbols spray-painted on Jewish Republican candidate's signs  —  Media Blackout!  —  From Eric Dondero:  —  Symbols of the National Socialist Party (NAZIs) were recently spray-painted on signs of a Jewish Republican candidate for Maine State Senate.  Blogger Al Diamon DownEast.com explains:

NO WAY TO RUN A GOVERNMENT, CONT'D.... When President Obama nominated Michael McCrum to be a U.S. Attorney in Western Texas, there was no reason to think there'd be much of a delay.  McCrum, a former assistant U.S. attorney, enjoyed the support of Texas' Democratic congressional delegation …

GOP Groups Launch Massive Ad Blitz  —  Alliance Spends $50 Million on Competitive House Races Where Democrats Have More Money Now  —  An alliance of Republican groups is launching a $50 million advertising blitz this week in a final push to help the GOP win a majority in the House …

Gore vs. the Supreme Court: The justices and the ‘CSI effect’  —  In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.

In South Dakota: Another Sarah Palin?  —  A New Republican Star Takes on a Tough Democratic Incumbent  —  If money is any indication, the hottest Republican House candidate in the country is Kristi Noem.  The 38-year-old rancher has raised more campaign cash than any Republican house challenger in the country.

Mark Kirk Sends Poll Monitors To ‘Vulnerable,’ Largely African-American Neighborhoods  —  In a private phone conversation that was secretly recorded, Mark Kirk, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois, told state Republican leaders last week about his plan to send “voter integrity” …

CLINTON HECKLED IN BLUE NEW YORK, SAYS HALF OF REPUBLICANS NEED PSYCHIATRIC HELP  —  MICKGOBLIN  —  He didnt do crap to balance the budget.  It was supply side economics kicking in back from Reagan and the computer industry.  Fine one thing he did to balance the budget?  He didnt do crap!

Obama's outsized ego  —  Obama's arrogance problem isn't a matter of psychology but of strategy.  —  “That's all right, all of you know who I am,” President Obama joked last week when the presidential seal fell off his podium during a speech in Pittsburgh.

Robo-signers: Mortgage experience not necessary  —  Banks hired hair stylists, teens to process foreclosure documents, workers' testimony shows  —  Related Quotes  —  NEW YORK (AP) — In an effort to rush through thousands of home foreclosures since 2007, financial institutions …

Is there a doctor in the house?  Obamacare will worsen the physician shortage Congress helped create  —  There is a new disease spreading like a cancer in doctors' offices and hospitals throughout the U.S. I have named it Doctor Unavailability Syndrome (DUS).

Across the U.S., Long Recovery Looks Like Recession  —  This is not what a recovery is supposed to look like.  —  In Atlanta, the Bank of America Tower, the tallest in the Southeast, is nearly a fifth vacant, and bank officials just wrestled a rent cut from the developer.

USS Cole attack survivors angry at Obama  —  The 10th anniversary of the bombing of the USS Cole on Tuesday conjured up painful memories for the families of the 17 Navy sailors who died in the terrorist attack, but it also revealed simmering anger at the Obama administration over the lack …

Geithner jabs at GOP for socialist ‘myth’ about Obama  —  Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner jabbed at Republicans on Tuesday evening for creating a “political myth” that President Obama is a socialist.  —  The top remaining member of the president's economic team defended the administration's record …