Exclusive Video: Lauren Valle Before The Head Stomp Vid  —  RedState has obtained exclusive video of the precipitating events prior to the “head stomping incident” at a recent Rand Paul event, which can be viewed below the fold.  —  Let us begin with what should be obvious and unnecessary to discuss: don't stomp on anyone's head.

Obama pleads for patience from Stewart on ‘Daily Show’  —  President Obama took to The Daily Show on Wednesday as part of his effort to motivate the young voters who propelled him into the Oval Office in 2008.  —  The president, who faces a possible GOP takeover of the House in less than a week …

Karl Rove questions Sarah Palin's suitability for president  —  Karl Rove, the former senior adviser to George W Bush, has cast doubt on Sarah Palin's viability as a White House candidate, questioning if the American people thought she had the “gravitas” for the “most demanding job in the world”.

Obama says he's evolving on gay marriage  —  President Barack Obama told a group of liberal bloggers Wednesday that his views on same-sex marriage, which he has previously opposed, are evolving and that society is moving in the direction of granting marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Poll: Independents Keep GOP Ahead in Four Key Senate Races  —  From left: Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle, moderator Mitch Fox and Senate majority leader Harry Reid appear at a debate in Las Vegas on Oct. 14, 2010  —  Democrats may not lose their Senate majority …

President Obama Meets with Progressive Bloggers  —  As the clock ticks down to the midterms and the White House tries to rally the base, President Obama this afternoon is meeting with five popular progressive bloggers.  —  Photo credit: J. Paul Tapper ©2010.

O'Donnell campaign threatens to sue WDEL  —  The Christine O'Donnell campaign is apologizing to WDEL after it demanded that video of an O'Donnell appearance on “The Rick Jensen Show” be destroyed and threatened a lawsuit if it wasn't.  —  In a Tuesday afternoon appearance on WDEL, O'Donnell …

Boehner: ‘Not a time for compromise’  —  Republicans aren't in the mood for compromise, especially on repealing healthcare reform, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday.  —  Boehner, the party leader who would likely become Speaker in a GOP-controlled House …

Coalition for Obama Split by Drift to G.O.P., Poll Finds  —  Critical parts of the coalition that delivered President Obama to the White House in 2008 and gave Democrats control of Congress in 2006 are switching their allegiance to the Republicans in the final phase of the midterm Congressional elections …

A not-so-brief history of violence  —  Public health warning: much much more McArdle-blogging beneath the fold.  But take heart - this may possibly be my last and most definitive statement on the topic.  I certainly can't imagine that I will want to write at length about this any more.

DNC Asks Pentagon for Info on Romney, Others  —  DNC Requests Records Related to Palin, Romney, Seven Other Possible 2012 Contenders  —  The Democratic National Committee formally has asked the Pentagon for reams of correspondence between military agencies and nine potential Republican …

2010 Electorate Still Looking More Republican Than in the Past  —  GOP Election Day advantage aided by surge in independents who lean Republican  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup's latest figures on the composition of the 2010 electorate suggest that, consistent with an earlier Gallup report …

Feds arrest N.Va. man in D.C. Metro bomb plot  —  Federal law enforcement authorities arrested a Northern Virginia man Wednesday in connection with an alleged plot to carry out terrorist bombings at stations in the Washington Metro system.  —  Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn conspired …

In Writings of Obama, a Philosophy Is Unearthed  —  When the Harvard historian James T. Kloppenberg decided to write about the influences that shaped President Obama's view of the world, he interviewed the president's former professors and classmates, combed through his books, essays …

Alaska judge rules write-in candidates can't be listed at polling sites  —  In a decision that could strike a blow to the write-in campaign of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a judge ruled Wednesday that state elections officials cannot hand out the names of write-in candidates at polling places Tuesday.

A New Plague: Stomping-Deniers  —  I thought the Kentucky head-stomping story had more or less played itself out.  Sure, the prime stomper, Tim Profitt, would get charged and arraigned and hopefully jailed for a spell (anger management classes would also be a good idea).

Michelle Obama's $400 Million ‘Food Desert’ Scam  —  First Lady Michelle Obama has called on Congress to create a $400 million-a-year program to encourage the establishment of supermarkets in places she calls “food deserts.”  —  The situation in these “food deserts,” as Mrs. Obama describes it, is quite dire indeed.

‘Stranger Danger’ and the Decline of Halloween  —  No child has ever been killed by poisoned candy.  Ever.  —  Halloween is the day when America market-tests parental paranoia.  If a new fear flies on Halloween, it's probably going to catch on the rest of the year, too.