Ray Rice — ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT ... Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch (Video)  —  ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT  —  Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch (Video)  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  This is what a two game suspension looks like — Ray Rice delivering a vicious punch to his fiancee's face, knocking her out cold ... and TMZ Sports has the shocking video.

CNN poll finds majority of Americans alarmed by ISIS  —  Washington (CNN) — Americans are increasingly concerned that ISIS represents a direct terror threat, fearful that ISIS agents are living in the United States, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll.  Most now support military action against the terrorist group.

Scots, What the Heck?  —  Next week Scotland will hold a referendum on whether to leave the United Kingdom.  And polling suggests that support for independence has surged over the past few months, largely because pro-independence campaigners have managed to reduce the “fear factor” …

Facing Dem attacks, could new GOP strategy end birth control wars?  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL HEALTH CARE 2014 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS BOBBY JINDAL CONTRACEPTION THOM TILLIS CORY GARDNER  —  Remember the 2012 Republican presidential debate in which ABC's George Stephanopoulos, seemingly out of nowhere …

Udall: Beheaded American Journalists Would Have Wanted Cautious Approach to ISIS  —  The president has in recent days taken fire from members of his own party for taking a low-key approach to tackling the problem presented by the Islamic State, particularly as the images of two American journalists kidnapped …

Rothenberg: Senate GOP Gains At Least 7 Seats  —  While the current Rothenberg Political Report ratings don't show it, I am now expecting a substantial Republican Senate wave in November, with a net gain of at least seven seats.  —  But I wouldn't be shocked by a larger gain.

Watergate's most lasting sin: Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and the pardon that made us all cynics  —  Ford let Nixon off 40 years ago today.  That launched Iran-Contra, “too big to fail” — and proved power trumps law  —  When you've published a book about Watergate, your phone rings off …

Congressman Says Everyone Should Be Free To Smoke And Fire Gay People  —  CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA—At a recent town hall in Charlotte's suburbs, North Carolina House Republican Robert Pittenger compared the right to fire LGBT workers to the right to smoke cigarettes on private property.

Bruce Levenson Isn't a Racist, He's a Businessman … From left: Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Dominique Wilkins  —  Courtesy of Iconomy, LLC

Dick Cheney to meet with House GOP on midterms  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney will appear before House Republicans at a Tuesday meeting to discuss the midterm elections, according to two sources familiar with his plans.  —  Cheney's appearance comes as Republican leaders launch …

Gerrymandering and the Big Sort Fallacy  —  Every so often, Nate Cohn writes something about how the political impact of gerrymandering is overrated, and I write something about how he's wrong.  The argument has gotten pointlessly heated in the past, and neither one of us has inched toward …

Bush gives Clinton grandpa advice  —  Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were complimentary of each other Monday, with the 43rd president even giving his Democratic predecessor some insider advice on the life of a grandfather.  —  “Get ready also to be like the lowest person …

How Major League Baseball Could Determine Control of Congress  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, left, speaks with Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper at Nationals Park.  (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)  —  For most of the country, this October's television airwaves …