Bill Clinton pushed Kendrick Meek to quit Florida race  —  Bill Clinton sought to persuade Rep. Kendrick Meek to drop out of the race for Senate during a trip to Florida last week — and nearly succeeded.  —  Meek agreed — twice — to drop out and endorse Gov. Charlie Crist's independent bid …

I Had a One-Night Stand With Christine O'Donnell  —  Three years ago this week, an intoxicated Christine O'Donnell showed up at the apartment of a 25-year-old Philadelphian and ended up spending the night in his bed.  Here's his story—and photos—of his escapade with the would-be Delaware senator.

Poll: Miller falls to last place  —  After several rough weeks on the campaign trail, a new poll out of Alaska shows Republican Joe Miller has fallen to last place in the three-way Senate race.  —  A Hays Research Group poll released Thursday showed write-in candidates …

Tribe to Obama: Sotomayor Is “Not Nearly As Smart As She Seems To Think She Is”  —  I've obtained a copy of an interesting letter that Harvard law professor Larry Tribe wrote to his protégé, President Barack Obama, in the immediate aftermath of Justice Souter's announcement of his decision to retire from the Court.

On the Daily Show, Obama is the last laugh  —  On Comedy Central, the joke was on President Obama Wednesday night.  —  The president had come, on the eve of what will almost certainly be the loss of his governing majority, to plead his case before Jon Stewart, gatekeeper of the disillusioned left.

Women  —  Preston and Tucker illustrate one problem Conway may face come Election Day.  —  The poll found that women, a reliable Democratic voting bloc, are becoming less likely to vote for Conway.  The poll found that Conway leads Paul just 48 percent to 46 percent among women …

Poll: Most Want Obama Fired In 2012  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, rapped by the White House for pledging to make Barack Obama a one-term president, seems to have the support of a majority of Americans.  A new poll provided to Whispers says that 56 percent of likely voters want the president fired.

Meg Whitman: ‘It breaks my heart,’ but deport housekeeper  —  California GOP gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman says her former housekeeper should be deported.  —  Whitman — down 10 percentage points in the latest Field Poll after spending over $140 million of her own money on the campaign …

Arkansas school board member to resign over anti-gay post  —  (CNN) — A school board district member in Arkansas who came under fire for an anti-gay post on a social networking site regrets the comments and will resign his seat, he told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Thursday.

Illegal Immigration Backlash Worries, Divides Latinos  —  The national political backlash against illegal immigration has created new divisions among Latinos and heightened their concerns about discrimination against members of their ethnic group-including those who were born in the United States or who immigrated legally.

‘Liberal gene’ discovered by scientists  —  People with left wing views may have their political opinions controlled by a “liberal gene”, according to scientists.  —  The research suggests that some people have an inherent bias against conservative thinking, that is independent of their education or upbringing.

Osama bin Laden threatens French troops, France announces pullout from Afghanistan  —  France denies any connection between its decision to remove troops from Afghanistan in 2011 and Osama bin Laden's pledge to attack French troops.  —  Kabul, Afghanistan  —  France is leaving Afghanistan.

As Reid Falters, Schumer Subtly Stands in the Wings  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Charles E. Schumer shipped $500,000 to Nevada in recent weeks to help Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader and Mr. Schumer's political patron and close friend, as he fights for his political life.

Prison Economics Help Drive Ariz. Immigration Law … Last year, two men showed up in Benson, Ariz., a small desert town 60 miles from the Mexico border, offering a deal.  —  Glenn Nichols, the Benson city manager, remembers the pitch.  —  “The gentleman that's the main thrust of this thing …

Libertarians unite  —  Bob Barr today endorsed Russ Feingold on WTDY:  —  What I look for in Washington are folks in the Senate and the House who put the Constitution first.  Not the “R” or the “D”, not partisan politics but the Constitution.  And what you have in Russ …

BUSH MAKES PEACE: BOOK REVEALED  —  “It was a simple question, 'Can you remember the last day you didn't have a drink?'”  —  So begins President George W. Bush in the opening chapter ["Quitting"] from the most anticipated book of the season, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

The Sleeper Race That Matters for 2012  —  In an election cycle where so many Democrats are running away from President Obama, Ohio's Democratic Governor Ted Strickland has unflinchingly embraced Obama from the beginning.  And the White House and Democratic establishment have gone to the mat for Strickland.