UN to appoint Earth contact for aliens  —  THE United Nations was set today to appoint an obscure Malaysian astrophysicist to act as EarthÂ's first contact for any aliens that may come visiting.  —  Mazlan Othman, the head of the UN's little-known Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa) …

Democrats Unleash Ads Focusing on Rivals' Pasts  —  WASHINGTON — Democratic candidates across the country are opening a fierce offensive of negative advertisements against Republicans, using lawsuits, tax filings, reports from the Better Business Bureau and even divorce proceedings to try …

What the Rich Don't Need  —  WANT to give affluent households a present worth $700 billion over the next decade?  In a period of high unemployment and fiscal austerity, this idea may seem laughable.  Amazingly, though, it is getting traction in Washington.

Citizens' Group Helps Uncover Alleged Rampant Voter Fraud in Houston  —  Voter selects candidate for U.S president in voting booth, Nov. 4, 2008.  —  When Catherine Engelbrecht and her friends sat down and started talking politics several years ago, they soon agreed that talking wasn't enough.

Candidate trips on birther issue  —  Tim Walberg, the former GOP congressman running to win back his Michigan seat from freshman Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer, says he doesn't know whether President Obama was born in America or if he is a Muslim.  —  Asked on a local call-in radio show whether …

Slouching Toward Washington  —  Holy Roddy McDowall.  —  Christine O'Donnell doesn't understand why monkeys can't turn into people right before her eyes.  —  Bill Maher continued his video torment of O'Donnell by releasing another old clip of her on his HBO show on Friday night …

Rove Returns, With Team, Planning G.O.P. Push  —  WASHINGTON — In 2004, the Republican master strategist Karl Rove led weekly sessions at his Washington residence where, over big plates of his butter-smothered “eggies” and bacon slabs, he planned the re-election of President George W. Bush …

A'jad monster's ball  —  Tweet  —  It was a strange week for the loony strongman from Iran.  —  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's six nights in New York featured a secret sit-down with militant minister Louis Farrakhan, heckling in a hotel bar, and a fear of being rubbed out that bordered on paranoia.

Boehner's Top Aide Is Little Known  —  WASHINGTON — Representative John A. Boehner and Barry Jackson cut an odd figure.  —  Mr. Jackson, the chief of staff to Mr. Boehner, the House Republican leader from Ohio, is shaggy-haired and dough-faced, pale to Mr. Boehner's preternatural tan.

New Alan Grayson ad: My draft-dodging GOP opponent doesn't love America like I do  —  I hope this is the sleaziest ad of the year because, if it isn't, I don't want to see the one that is.  Where to begin?  Well, for starters, the photo of Teacups with the elderly man in the Marine Corps League hat suggests …

Brown leads Whitman 49%-44% in poll  —  Boxer leads Fiorina 51%-43% in Senate race, survey finds.  Both Republicans are hampered by voters' negative impressions of them, poll says.  —  Democrat Jerry Brown has moved into a narrow lead over Republican Meg Whitman in their fractious contest for governor …

They're gay, conservative and proud  —  NEW YORK — Even among the gays, the right is on the rise.  —  The broad surge in the conservative grassroots made it as far as PayPal founder Peter Thiel's grand apartment overlooking New York's Union Square Tuesday night, where about 150 backers …

Obama, Empathy and the Midterms  —  MY homework for an hourlong interview with President Obama last week began with reviews of his earlier speeches and interviews, and conversations with economists and political operatives.  It ended around a dinner table.  —  That's where, over salad and swordfish …

New Proof Wall Street Knew Its Mortgage Securities Were Subpar: Clayton Execs Testify  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  During a little-noticed hearing this week in Sacramento, Calif., a firm hired by Wall Street to analyze mortgages given to borrowers with poor credit, which were then packaged …

Their Moon Shot and Ours  —  China is doing moon shots.  Yes, that's plural.  When I say “moon shots” I mean big, multibillion-dollar, 25-year-horizon, game-changing investments.  China has at least four going now: one is building a network of ultramodern airports; another is building a web …