The Mortgage Morass  —  American officials used to lecture other countries about their economic failings and tell them that they needed to emulate the U.S. model.  The Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, in particular, led to a lot of self-satisfied moralizing.

Nevada Fight Night fizzles  —  LAS VEGAS - Republican Sharron Angle lashed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the only debate of the Nevada Senate race Thursday night, telling the Democrat to “man up” at one point and questioning how he got wealthy during his years in Congress.

Tea Party Set to Win Enough Races for Wide Influence  —  Enough Tea Party-supported candidates are running strongly in competitive and Republican-leaning Congressional races that the movement stands a good chance of establishing a sizeable caucus to push its agenda in the House and the Senate, according to a New York Times analysis.

Monetary Policy Objectives and Tools in a Low-Inflation Environment  —  The topic of this conference—the formulation and conduct of monetary policy in a low-inflation environment—is timely indeed.  From the late 1960s until a decade or so ago, bringing inflation under control was viewed …

FIRST LADY CAMPAIGNS INSIDE POLLING PLACE  —  First lady Michelle Obama appears to have violated Illinois law — when she engaged in political discussion at a polling place!  —  The drama began after Mrs. Obama stopped off at the Martin Luther King Center on the south side of Chicago to cast an early vote.

Challenging Health Care Law, Suit Advances  —  In a foreboding ruling for the Obama administration, a federal judge in Florida decreed Thursday that a legal challenge to the new health care law by officials from 20 states could move forward and warned that he would have to be persuaded …

From a Maine House, a National Foreclosure Freeze  —  DENMARK, Me.  — The house that set off the national furor over faulty foreclosures is blue-gray and weathered.  The porch is piled with furniture and knickknacks awaiting the next yard sale.  In the driveway is a busted pickup truck.

The Outlook for November 2nd  —  Larry J. Sabato, Director, U.Va. Center for Politics  —  As alert readers of the Crystal Ball will note, we have not changed our projection of +47 Republican net House seats in many weeks.  We made this prediction prior to Labor Day, and we were the first to say definitively …

Murkowski goes up with Stevens ads  —  Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski will start airing the long-awaited campaign ad featuring the late Sen. Ted Stevens this week.  —  In the ad, Stevens, who died in a plane crash earlier this year, tells voters, “We need Lisa,” according to footage of the advertisement obtained exclusively by POLITICO.

Blue No More: Colo. Dems Struggle for Votes  —  Tea Party-Favored Ken Buck in Close Race With Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet  —  When Barack Obama won Colorado in the 2008 election, many instantly declared it a new blue state.  All but two Republicans running for Congress lost to Democrats …

Pentagon to comply with court order to end 'don't ask, don't tell'  —  The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will comply with a court order to stop enforcing its “don't ask, don't tell” policy barring gays from serving openly in the military, even as the Obama administration asked a federal judge to delay implementation of the ruling.

NPR Poll Offers Sliver Of Hope For Democrats  —  With only 18 days left until Election Day, an NPR survey of likely voters in battleground districts found that while the overall field still tilts to the GOP, Democrats are closing the gap in some places.  —  The good news for Democrats …

Barack Obama sees rise of ‘tribal attitude’  —  President Barack Obama thinks that the recession has caused a temporary increase in racial tension by stoking “tribal attitude” among people in economic distress.  —  During an hour-long town hall with young people simulcast on MTV …

Second Sestak Comeback Is Unlikely  —  There's been some excitement this week about Pennsylvania, where two internal polls commissioned by Democrats show a tight Senate race.  One of the polls actually puts their candidate, Joe Sestak, ahead by 3 points; the other has him 1 point behind Pat Toomey.

California NOW President: ‘Meg Whitman Could Be Described As A Political Whore’  —  Last week, the National Organization for Women and the PAC of the California NOW chapter took heat for their endorsement of state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) over Meg Whitman (R) in the gubernatorial race …

Democrats' Primary Turnout Lowest on Record  —  Fueled by tea party activism and hotly contested races, Republican participation in this year's primary elections was up.  But Democratic participation fell to a record low, leaving overall voter turnout at the second lowest level ever for a midterm election …

McGovern Says Constitution is WRONG  —  Lamb Will Uphold Constitution  —  Holliston, MA ...Tonight, Marty Lamb, Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts Third District, was shocked at Congressman James McGovern's words and his attitude toward the U.S. Constitution.

Postcard From Palestine  —  This article appeared in the November 1, 2010 edition of The Nation.  —  Recommended by  —  Hebron  —  The first thing you notice when you drive into Hebron is the lack of cars.  Since 1997 this second-largest Palestinian city in the West Bank …

Black voters may be just as engaged as they were in 2008, polls show  —  Will black voters turn out in November?  —  Historically, black turnout for midterm elections has lagged behind the national average, but two new reports offer a bullish outlook for this year.