Health insurance exchange launched despite signs of serious problems  —  Days before the launch of President Obama's online health ­insurance marketplace, government officials and contractors tested a key part of the Web site to see whether it could handle tens of thousands of consumers at the same time.

Gov. LePage lets slip what he really thinks about Maine people  —  At a speech to a conservative audience in Falmouth last week, Governor Paul LePage made a statement that is deeply revealing.  —  Informed that the event was wrapping up, LePage said he had two more points to make.

Poll: Major damage to GOP after shutdown, and broad dissatisfaction with government  —  Video: Will voters remember the shutdown next year?  Incumbents usually win elections.  But after a shutdown, near-default and historic lows in Congressional approval, voters are claiming they'll reverse that trend in 2014.

Virginia Governor: McAuliffe (D) 50%, Cuccinelli (R) 33%, Sarvis (L) 8%  —  Democrat Terry McAuliffe has jumped to a 17-point lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the Virginia gubernatorial race following the federal government shutdown that hit Northern Virginia hard and Hillary Clinton's weekend visit to the state.

Inside The Meeting Where Obama And Reid Vowed Not To Be ‘Taken In By These Crazy People’  —  WASHINGTON — Barack Obama and Harry Reid needed to clear the air.  The relationship between the president and the Senate majority leader had been deteriorating since 2011, with Reid losing respect …

Take this, conservatives: Criticism only makes Obamacare stronger!  —  Ignore most conservatives attacking Healthcare.gov — but it's a mistake to assume Obama's got it under control  —  Let's stipulate that the conservatives crying crocodile tears for uninsured Americans who've …

Fla. congressman's ex-chief of staff jailed for voter fraud scheme  —  Oct. 2, 2013: Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla., at a news conference on Immigration Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington.Reuters  —  The former chief of staff of a Democratic Florida congressman will serve 90 days in jail …

Have Barack Obama and Eric Holder Caused an Increase in Mass Murder?  —  Attorney General Eric Holder said today, in a speech to a convention of police chiefs, that mass shooting incidents have tripled in the last few years: … So Holder is telling us that since he took over as AG, mass shooting incidents have tripled.

McCain considering seeking reelection in 2016  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday that he is considering running for another term in 2016, when he would be 80 years old.  —  “I'm seriously thinking about maybe giving another opportunity for you to vote for or against me in a few years from now …

Democratic Takeover of the House Is Still a Long Shot  —  Democrats will need Republicans to continue self-destructing, among other things, to return to the majority in 2014.  —  Those who already are saying that the House of Representatives is now “in play” are getting a little ahead of their skis—forgetting a few key factors.

Confronted With Example Of Obamacare Success, GOP Rep Freaks Out  —  A CNN host confronted a Republican congresswoman on Tuesday for dismissing some of the successes uninsured people have has in signing up for Obamacare, accusing the GOP lawmaker of rooting for the law's failure.

Beverly Young to Charlie Crist: Stay away from memorial service  —  A host of dignitaries from Washington to Tallahassee to Tampa Bay will be on hand to honor the late U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young at his memorial service Thursday.  —  But one particularly prominent politician won't be welcome at First Baptist Indian Rocks: Charlie Crist.

The Employment Situation in September  —  While job growth remained solid in September, there is no question that the focus of policy should be on how to achieve a faster pace of job growth by increasing certainty and investing in jobs, rather than the self-inflicted wounds of the past several weeks …

Meet the New Hillary  —  Back on the campaign trail for the first time since 2008, the former secretary of state has a new celebrity and gravitas—but some of the same old flaws.  —  FALLS CHURCH, Virginia — On Saturday, Hillary Clinton was a campaigner again.

Law Prof Blog Traffic Rankings  —  Below are the updated quarterly traffic rankings by page views of the Top 50 blogs edited by law professors for the most recent 12-month period (Oct. 1, 2012 - Sept. 30, 2013), as well as the percentage change in traffic from the prior 12-month period.