Reid lost the debate to Angle  —  Let's get the easy part out of the way first:  —  Sharron Angle won The Big Debate.  —  Angle won because she looked relatively credible, appearing not to be the Wicked Witch of the West (Christine O'Donnell is the good witch of the Tea Party) and scoring many more rhetorical points.

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.

Feds oppose Calif. Prop 19 to legalize marijuana  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Attorney General Eric Holder says the federal government will enforce its marijuana laws in California even if voters next month make the state the first in the nation to legalize the drug.

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 …

Do the polls back up the attacks on the Chamber of Commerce?  —  From one “Beltway inside-game commentator” to another: No, the attacks on the Chamber of Commerce aren't helping Democrats in the election.  A MoveOn.org poll showing that voters respond negatively when asked …

Obama's half brother in Kenya says he married teen  —  NAIROBI, Kenya - President Barack Obama's polygamist half brother in Kenya has married a woman who is more than 30 years younger than him.  —  The 19-year-old's mother told The Associated Press on Friday she is furious …

Wilders not guilty on all counts - Update  —  The public prosecution department on Friday afternoon stated that Geert Wilders is not guilty of discriminating against Muslims.  Earlier on Friday it announced he should also be found not guilty of inciting hatred.

Poll: Joe Manchin ahead by 10 points  —  Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin has opened up a double-digit lead over Republican John Raese in the West Virginia Senate special election, according to a new independent poll set for release Friday morning.  —  The Marshall University poll shows Manchin taking 48 percent …

Mitch Daniels open to VAT, oil tax hike  —  Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels opened the door Thursday to supporting both a value added tax and a tariff on imported oil, bold proposals that could cause trouble for him with conservatives as he flirts with a long-shot bid for the presidency.

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 …

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.

Hey, Secret Big Political Donor, Don't Forget The 35% Gift Tax  —  In the run-up to next month's elections, a big and controversial development has been the ability of tycoons to make unlimited political donations without any public disclosure whatsoever.  This is done by giving the money to certain 501 …

Dem State Senator: My Redneck Constituents Don't Want Free Health Care for Illegals  —  This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.

The Pamela Geller Interview  —  It has been great to see my friend Pamela Geller from Atlas Shrugs starting to gain more national prominence.  She's a got a new book out, The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America, she's been the point person on the Ground Zero Mosque right …

D.S.C.C. Has Record-Breaking Month  —  Democrats may be struggling against a political headwind and a new cadre of conservative groups, but the national party organizations appear to be having no trouble raising money.  —  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will report later …

In re Collegio vs. Woodhouse  —  The spokesmen for the DNC and American Crossroads are going at it today, with Crossroads' Jonathan Collegio calling Woodhouse a “brazen hypocrite” for attacking his group while having worked in the past for another 501(c)(4) that didn't disclose its donors.

How Romney made a bestseller  —  Mitt Romney boosted sales of his book this spring by asking institutions to buy thousands of copies in exchange for his speeches, according to a document obtained by POLITICO.  —  Romney's book tour ran from early March to late May of this year …