The Backlash Myth  —  Many of my liberal friends are convinced that the Republican Party has a death wish.  It is sprinting to the right-most fever swamps of American life.  It will end up alienating the moderate voters it needs to win elections.  —  There's only one problem with this theory.

Murkowski Will Run As Write-In  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) will run for re-election as a write-in candidate after losing her bid for renomination, according to sources briefed on Murkowski's decision.  —  Murkowski's decision will set up a 3-way battle between the incumbent …

Ex-aides unload on Christine O'Donnell  —  By pulling off arguably the biggest upset of the primary election season Tuesday, Christine O'Donnell shocked the Republican establishment and political pundits who didn't think her campaign for the Delaware GOP Senate nomination had a chance.

Bayh Says Poverty Increase Means Congress Should Ignore ‘Fairness’ And Cut Taxes For The Rich  —  Yesterday, the Census Bureau released a report showing that one in seven Americans is currently living in poverty, and that the median income decreased by nearly five percent during the last decade.

The Obama administration's pipe dreams  —  The White House held a conference call today for Elizabeth Warren and various bloggers and writers.  Most of it was what you'd expect, but Warren did mention that Rep. Barney Frank once told her that getting a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was a “pipe dream.”

Mao's Great Leap Forward ‘killed 45 million in four years’  —  Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China, qualifies as the greatest mass murderer in world history, an expert who had unprecedented access to official Communist Party archives said yesterday.

Romney Unleashed … That's how Mitt Romney, potential presidential candidate, begins his speech to the Values Voter Summit here in Washington today.  The rest of the speech is much less temperate than anything I've heard Romney give this year.  Romney has the fundamentals for a presidential bid down pat …

If you thought Christine O'Donnell was bad...  Meet the GOP's extreme nominee for Delaware's open seat in the House, Glen Urquhart.  Since Mike Castle vacated the seat in order to (unsuccessfully) run for Senate, the Republicans nominated Urquhart in a tight primary election.

Ad Watch: Pelosi's VP Pick Slams Her, Obama in New Ad  —  ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports:  —  Here's a sign of the times that takes Democrats breaking with President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to a new level.  —  Remember Chet Edwards?  —  He's the moderate Texas Congressman …

Palin Endorses Continetti  —  THE WEEKLY STANDARD has obtained an advance copy of the new paperback edition of The Persecution of Sarah Palin by (THE WEEKLY STANDARD's) Matthew Continetti.  As you can see on the cover, the book carries with it the official endorsement of none other than Sarah Palin herself.

The Rout Is On.  —  Campaigns hate it when I suggest they have their races won, so let's include all the traditional caveats.  In a New York minute, everything can change; every candidate is one gaffe away from self-destruction, October surprises may abound, the only poll that matters …

Dinesh D'Souza Digs Himself in Deeper  —  Some more criticism of Forbes's disastrous Obama cover story  —  Dinesh D'Souza has responded to my, uh, criticism of his smear piece that, shamefully, made the cover of Forbes with its claims that Obama is directed by a “Kenyan, anticolonial” …

Unions Find Members Slow to Rally Behind Democrats  —  The Democrats will depend on labor unions — the shock troops of their political campaigns — to offset two new developments this election cycle: Tea Party enthusiasm and corporations' ability to spend unlimited amounts thanks to a Supreme Court ruling.

Huckabee Supports Denying Coverage For Those With Preexisting Conditions  —  1 hour and 42 minutes ago — Chris Harris  —  Today marks the start of the religious right's Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC.  After a rousing multi-verse rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee took the stage.