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Reid My Lips: Last Night Was a Disaster — The Senate majority leader should've stayed home. — Why Harry Reid agreed to have a debate with Sharron Angle is a bit of a mystery to me. If your campaign is based on portraying your opponent as loony, then why give that opponent a chance to look reasonable?
Discussion:
Comments from Left Field, American Power, Donklephant, Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Swampland and Ballot Box
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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.
Discussion:
The Reaction, The Daily Caller, The Fix, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Donklephant, Washington Monthly, Hotline On Call, Sister Toldjah, The Atlantic Online, Weasel Zippers, GayPatriot, Gateway Pundit, Power Line, Hot Air, Wake up America, Gawker, Left Coast Rebel, Commentary, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Outside the Beltway and The Politico

Angle burns through much of her staggering $14 million haul — Nevada Republican Sharron Angle announced earlier this week she raised a staggering $14 million between the start of July and the end of September. Observers seized on the impressive total as a sign her challenge …
Discussion:
The Politico

The New Normal — I didn't see last night's debate between Harry Reid …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, The Politico, Outside the Beltway, CNN, Mediaite, The Page and Washington Wire


‘Man Up?’ What if Harry Reid Told Sharron Angle to ‘Act Like a Lady?’
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Why I'm Rooting for Sharron Angle
Discussion:
Hit & Run, alicublog, The Agitator and Balloon Juice


Treasury Defends HAMP Again - I Can't Stop Laughing — I see nothing. (photo: sirtwitchalot2000 on Flickr) — So Ezra stepped out and pretty sharply criticized HAMP. To him I say welcome. But because he has a Beltway audience, the Treasury Department got right angry and dialed him up and pleaded their case.
Discussion:
Eschaton
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The Treasury's defense of HAMP — My column this morning was not kind toward the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP. When officials from Treasury called to press their case, I suggested a Q&A format so that you all could hear their argument. The participants were Phyllis Caldwell …


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.
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Gawker, Outside the Beltway, Indecision Forever, The Hill, The Daily Caller and New York Magazine
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Even if Prop. 19 passes, federal drug laws will be 'vigorously …
Discussion:
Speakeasy, Firedoglake and Politics Daily

Tides Foundation CEO To Fox News Advertisers: Drop Glenn Beck Or Have Blood On Your Hands — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? — In an extraordinary move to nip the inflammatory commentary coming from Glenn Beck, the founder and CEO of the Tides Foundation (a frequent Beck target) …
Discussion:
What\'s Possible, Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, Washington Monthly and SFGate


California Democrats cling to leads: Reuters/Ipsos — (Reuters) - Democratic candidates are clinging to narrow leads over their Republican rivals in two key California races with less than three weeks to go until November 2 elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Friday.
Discussion:
Left Coast Rebel, CarlyForCA.com, American Power, Hot Air, GayPatriot, SFGate, Washington Wire, TPMDC and National Review


Republican ‘Contender’ Dons Duckie Pajamas, Parties With Scantily Clad Women — Who among us hasn't donned duckie pajamas for a night out with scantily clad women, then run for Congress? — Well, in the event that you haven't, consider the case of NRCC's latest big “contender,” …
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News

Raese's Wife Loses W.Va. Voter Status — In an escalating residency controversy between West Virginia's Senate contenders, the wife of Republican businessman John Raese is being purged from the state's voter rolls because she is also registered to vote in Florida.
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Poll: Joe Manchin ahead by 10 points
Discussion:
RedState, Don Surber, TPMDC, Daily Kos and National Review

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 …
Discussion:
The Washington Independent, The Other McCain and The Plum Line
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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 …
Discussion:
msk.com, Ben Smith's Blog, The Washington Independent and TaxProf Blog
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D.N.C. Spokesman's Former Group Didn't Disclose Donors Either
Discussion:
Beltway Confidential, Ben Smith's Blog and CNN


Immigrants Find Voting Can Come At a Cost — The way Joseph E. Joseph tells it, he was just doing his civic duty. — On his way home from work one evening in 1992, he came across a group of volunteers in Brooklyn registering people to vote. Mr. Joseph, a legal permanent resident …

Hinchey Tangles With Reporter (UPDATED) — Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who suddenly finds himself in the GOP's crosshairs, had a heated exchange with a local reporter at last night's debate that became physical before the congressman disengaged and walked away, according to witnesses.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Beltway Confidential and Left Coast Rebel

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 …
Discussion:
HillBuzz, Atlas Shrugs, iOwnTheWorld.com, Gateway Pundit and Gawker

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.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Jihad Watch, National Review, Atlas Shrugs, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Weasel Zippers and The Jawa Report

O'Donnell says poll shows she's closing gap; still down 11-points — Christine O'Donnell says a new poll shows she's closing the gap on her Democratic opponent, but the Tea Party-backed Republican is still down 11-points in the Delaware Senate race. — O'Donnell trails New Castle County …


Long Battle by Foes of Campaign Finance Rules Shifts Landscape — WASHINGTON — It was Thanksgiving break of 1998 at Capital University Law School in Ohio, and Senator Mitch McConnell was on the phone for Prof. Bradley Smith. — Mr. McConnell's aides had already approached …


Lee Abrams resigns from Tribune Co. — Lee Abrams. (Handout) — Tribune Co. Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrams, who began the work week by sending a companywide e-mail that contained content deemed inappropriate, resigned Friday. — The e-mail, the latest in a weekly series …
Discussion:
Romenesko and The Informer, more at Mediagazer »

Anthem Approved For Health Insurance Rate Hikes As High As 47 Percent — The state's largest insurer has been approved to raise health premium rates by 41 percent to 47 percent for some of its policies sold to individual buyers, in the largest price hikes yet seen in Connecticut since the adoption of national health care reform.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and Beltway Confidential

Memo warned of drug cartels targeting rivals with assassins — Mexican cartels planned to send armed assassins into Arizona this spring to eradicate bandits who were stealing drugs from smugglers, according to a Department of Homeland Security intelligence report disclosed Friday by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report and Pat Dollard

Poll: GOP has edge in most competitive Democratic seats — Republicans maintain an edge over Democrats in some of the most highly contested congressional districts, a new poll found Friday. — GOP candidates have a four-point edge among likely voters in the 53 most competitive congressional districts held …
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit and Libertarian Republican


Michelle Obama and Illinois Election Law — Did Michelle Obama violate Illinois election law? — The question arose after the first lady, who voted early at her Chicago precinct Thursday, responded to voters who voiced support for her husband. It's unlawful in the state to have a …


Rand Paul vs The Department of Education — Rand Paul's stated rationale for wanting to abolish the Department of Education is revealing of his ignorance of the relevant issues: … Igor Volsky points out that “[c]urrently, there is a legislative prohibition on the federal government getting involved …
Discussion:
WonkRoom, Salon, ThinkProgress and Washington Monthly


Quote of the Day: Impeachment! — From Thoreau: … The topic here is, “What excuse will some insane tea party faction in the House use to bring impeachment charges against Barack Obama?” — Since we're going for style points here, I'm putting my money on a scenario in which South Carolina decides …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice