How Republicans lost the culture war  —  On Aug. 17, 1992, Pat Buchanan and the Republican Party declared a “culture war ... for the soul of America.”  On Oct. 6, 2014, Republicans surrendered.  —  Twenty-two years ago at his party's national convention, Buchanan thundered, “we stand with …

Unlike in Spain, Dallas Ebola patient's dog will be saved  —  DALLAS — The health care worker who tested positive for Ebola has a dog, but the mayor of Dallas says unlike in a recent Spanish case, the dog will be kept safe for eventual reunion with its owner.

Greg Abbott: Texas gay marriage ban reduces out-of-wedlock births  —  AUSTIN - Attorney General Greg Abbott says Texas' same-sex marriage ban should remain in place because legalizing it would do little or nothing to encourage heterosexual couples to get married and have children.

Even a Senate victory won't heal GOP divisions  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) made news recently by announcing he might run for president in 2016.  He later explained that his potential candidacy is less about “personal ambition” than about “concern for where the party is going.”

Ebola Vaccine Would Likely Have Been Found By Now If Not For Budget Cuts: NIH Director  —  BETHESDA, Md. — As the federal government frantically works to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and as it responds to a second diagnosis of the disease at home, one of the country's top health officials …

Leaning Forward, MSNBC Loses Ground to Rival CNN  —  Rachel Maddow, the biggest star on the MSNBC cable network, just posted her lowest quarterly ratings results ever.  —  “Morning Joe,” MSNBC's signature morning program, scored its second-lowest quarterly ratings, reaching an average …

Mitt Romney Told an Obama Joke in Iowa.  Here It Is.  —  WEST DES MOINES, Iowa - Mitt Romney wanted to tell a joke.  “Now when you're running for office people tell you, you shouldn't tell jokes,” he said at a political rally here on Sunday.  “But I'm not running for office, so I can tell one.”

Braced for Voter Fraud in Colorado  —  Perhaps the most hard-fought Senate race this year will be Colorado's showdown between Democratic senator Mark Udall and Republican congressman Cory Gardner.  The RealClearPolitics average of polls in the race shows Gardner holding a lead of 1.3 percentage points.

Times Touts Tours of Iran  —  For the price of $6,995, the New York Times is offering 13-day tours of Iran guided by Times journalist Elaine Sciolino.  Promotional material for the tour on the Times website promises “luxurious hotels” and describes Tehran as a city where “the young and fashionable adopt a new trendy joie de vivre.”

What the Next Two Awful Years Will Look Like  —  The five things to fear about a Republican Congress  —  I. The Gutting of Dodd-Frank  —  If Republicans take control of the House and Senate, many of their members will call for the outright repeal of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms.

Comedy club uses iPad facial recognition to charge by the laugh  —  A Barcelona comedy club brings rationality to humor.  How funny. … This, I imagine, was the sweet sound of the checkout at one Barcelona comedy club, after it took the bold step of charging its customers not for the fun, but for every single sign of humor.

Krugman: Obama One of ‘Most Consequential’ Presidents in Modern History  —  New York Times columnist Paul Krugman told ABC News' Jon Karl Sunday morning that President Barack Obama was one of the most consequential commanders in chief in modern history, arguing that his policy accomplishments far outstripped …

How Righteousness Killed the World Economy  —  Stop me if you've heard this before: The world economy appears to be stumbling.  For a while, things seemed to be looking up, and there was talk about green shoots of recovery.  But now growth is stalling, and the specter of deflation looms.

John McCain: U.S. Needs an Ebola Czar  —  Remember a couple years ago how President Barack Obama had eighty million czars and it was bad because czars = Russia?  Well czars are good now.  —  “From spending time here in Arizona, my constituents are not comforted,” Senator John McCain (R-AZ) …