HASTERT SAYS HE DID NOTHING WRONG IN FOLEY PAGE SCANDAL  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Dennis Hastert defiantly declared Thursday that he'd done nothing wrong relating to the growing Capitol Hill page scandal, and vowed to run again for speaker after the GOP wins back the House in next month's election.

Censored Again By ABC News  —  In the spirit of giving it that "old college try" once more, I once again attempted to ask Brian Ross of the ABC News blog "The Blotter" two questions I first attempted to pose days ago in the comments section of a Blotter blog post.

A special comment about lying  —  Keith Olbermann on the difference between terrorists and critics  —  SPECIAL COMMENT  —  While the leadership in Congress has self-destructed over the revelations of an unmatched, and unrelieved, march through a cesspool ...

Kim's message: War is coming to US soil  —  Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say.  Please click here if you are interested in contributing.  —  The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced on October 3 …

GOP's Hold on Evangelicals Weakening  —  Party's Showing in Midterm Elections May Be Hurt as Polls Indicate Support Dropping in Base  —  ANOKA, Minn. — Lynn Sunde, an evangelical Christian, is considering what for her is a radical step.  Come November, she may vote for a Democrat for Congress.

Interdicting speech at Columbia  —  Eliana Johnson reports in the New York Sun that leftists are interdicting speech at Columbia: … The Columbia Spectator has considerably more coverage here, including this video of the protests that made it impossible for Jim Gilchrist to speak:  —  Commentary

Path Is Risky for Gay GOP Politicians  —  WASHINGTON — At the Republican National Convention in 2000, Rep. Mark Foley hosted a late-night bash at a Philadelphia gay bar, where an acquaintance snapped a photo of an attractive young intern sitting on the Florida congressman's lap.

Apple Of the Times  —  R.W. "Johnny" Apple, who died Wednesday at age 71, was the best political reporter of his era.  He was also the best food writer, the best wine writer, the best travel writer and the best architecture critic, and he could have been the best garden and sports writer if he had wanted to be.

Gloria Wise Executives Indicted, Air America Radio  —  BUSTED  —  Two Former Nonprofit Execs Arrested Over $$$ Diversions  —  *** Major Friday Morning Updates Below ***  —  Finally, some accountability in the Bronx, even if it isn't nearly enough.  —  After over a year …

New Media A Weapon in New World Of Politics  —  At first glance, three uproars that buffeted American politics in recent weeks have little in common.  —  Former congressman Mark Foley (R-Fla.) ended his political career over sexually charged e-mails to former House pages.

Pelosi says she would drain GOP 'swamp'  —  WASHINGTON - Franklin Roosevelt had his first hundred days.  —  House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is thinking 100 hours, time enough, she says, to begin to "drain the swamp" after more than a decade of Republican rule.

Wetterling ad overstates facts  —  The TV spot by the Sixth District candidate is wrong in stating that members of Congress admitted to a coverup - none has.  —  Patty Wetterling's latest TV ad, in which she calls for "the immediate expulsion of any congressman involved in a crime or coverup" …

Patrick says he gave money to aid convict  —  Donation helped pay for DNA test  —  Deval L. Patrick, who a week ago said his ``sole involvement" in the campaign to free a convicted rapist was a letter he wrote more than a decade ago, acknowledged last night that he made a financial contribution …

Bush says he can edit security reports  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush, again defying Congress, says he has the power to edit the Homeland Security Department's reports about whether it obeys privacy rules while handling background checks, ID cards and watchlists.