Fake pimp from ACORN videos tries to ‘punk’ CNN correspondent  —  Editor's note: CNN takes an unprecedented look inside the young conservative activist movement in the documentary “Right On The Edge,” which airs Oct. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST.  —  Lusby, Maryland (CNN) …

Tea-Party Movement Gathers Strength  —  The tea party has emerged as a potent force in American politics and a center of gravity within the Republican Party, with a large majority of Republicans showing an affinity for the movement that has repeatedly bucked the GOP leadership this year …

Meg Whitman's Housekeeper — ‘Explosive’ Allegations  —  UPDATE: Meg Whitman's campaign chairman, former California Governor Pete Wilson, tells TMZ he is unaware of any claim by Whitman's former housekeeper, but, “The timing of this is highly suspect.”  —  The former housekeeper for Meg Whitman …

Poll: Obama, Dems Poised to Lose Grayson House Seat  —  Republican Dan Webster jumps to a 7-point lead  —  In one of the most closely watched U.S. House races in the nation, Republican Daniel Webster now holds a 7-point lead over Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson in Central Florida's 8th Congressional District …

Assistant attorney general blogs against gay student body president  —  (CNN) — For nearly six months, Andrew Shirvell, an assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan, has waged an internet campaign against college student Chris Armstrong, the openly gay student assembly president at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Boehner calls to extend all Bush tax cuts but resists procedural move to finish the job  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday blasted Democratic leaders for blocking a vote extending all the Bush-era tax cuts, but appeared resistant to using a procedural maneuver called a …

‘Credible But Not Specific’: Threat of New Terrorist Attack  —  Officials in Europe, US on High Alert for Commando-Style Raids After Capture of Suspected German Terrorist  —  US and European officials said Tuesday they have detected a plot to carry out a major, coordinated series …

Distrust in U.S. Media Edges Up to Record High  —  Perceptions of liberal bias still far outnumber perceptions of conservative bias  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the fourth straight year, the majority of Americans say they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly.

Meredith Whitney's new target: The states  —  The housing crash not yet realized its full impact on budgets in the most vulnerable states.  It's the banking crisis all over again - and it's time to stop ignoring it.  —  Meredith Whitney, the superstar analyst who famously forecast disaster …

Being Glenn Beck  —  Glenn Beck was sprawled out on his office couch a couple of weeks ago, taking — as self-helpers like to say ­— an inventory.  “I think what the country is going through right now is, in a way, what I went through with my alcoholism,” he told me.  “You can either live or die.

Another School Says Christine O'Donnell Did Not Attend  —  Claremont Graduate University tells TPM that Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell did not attend the Southern California school despite listing it under education on her LinkedIn profile.  —  Rod Leveque, a spokesman for the school, told TPM tonight:

Obliterating a generation  —  Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, the Democratic Party is facing the biggest defeat in midterm elections in the past 110 years, perhaps surpassing the modern record of a 74-seat gain set in 1922.

Dems retreat to coasts as GOP rules vast interior  —  Here's an exercise for some evening when you're curious about big nationwide trends in this year's elections.  —  Get an outline map showing the 50 states and take a look at the latest poll averages in pollster.com in each race for senator and governor.

Exclusive: Facebook and Skype Readying Deep Integration Partnership  —  You didn't think Facebook would integrate with Google (GOOG) Voice, did you?  —  Actually, according to sources close to the situation, Facebook and Skype are poised to announce a significant and wide-ranging partnership …

More on “No Wedding, No Womb.”  —  Today on the Michael Eric Dyson show, bloggers Christelyn Karazin and Jamilah Lemieux talked about the “No Wedding, No Womb” campaign.  Karazin, who is spearheading the effort, started it to “raise awareness” about high rates of out-of-wedlock births among black women.

Sen. Nelson: GOP worries over Tea Party impeding tax-cut deal  —  Centrist Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Wednesday that GOP senators' fear of the Tea Party has made it difficult for them to reach a deal with Democrats on the expiring Bush tax cuts.  —  Speaking at the conservative Heritage Foundation …

Young People And Minorities Are All The President Has Left  —  Americans between ages 18 and 29 are significantly more likely to be satisfied with the overall state of the country than those who are 65 and older, according to the latest Society for Human Resource Management/National Journal …

Obama's University Visit Was Not Simple  —  Would it be all right if the Leader of the Free World stopped by your campus for a little while?  —  He wants to surround himself with hordes of enthusiastic young people, toss out a few oratorical gems — as you know, he's got the gift — and reinvigorate his anxious political party.

Florida Dems aim death blow at Charlie Crist  —  Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is getting the full Arlen Specter treatment as he struggles to hold on to Democratic support in his independent bid for the U.S. Senate.  —  The Florida Democratic Party is throwing money behind a crushing new ad …

AIPAC disputes Sestak ad  —  The pro-Israel group AIPAC says a campaign ad from Rep. Joe Sestak that claims that, “According to AIPAC, Joe Sestak has a 100% pro-Israel voting record” is inaccurate.  —  The group, a spokesman said, does not not issue such evaluations.

In Praise of Frozen Vegetables  —  Matthew Yglesias points out that a lot of the rhetoric used to explain why Americans eat so few vegetables—"A pound of kale is not exactly grab and go!"—ignores the existence of frozen produce. … I second the applause.

Dinesh D'Souza's poison  —  Forbes magazine has now “fact-checked” Dinesh D'Souza's infamous September 27 cover story, “How Obama Thinks,” and has uncovered one “slight” misrepresentation, it says, of an Obama speech on the BP oil spill.  Such a “fact-checking” feint is irrelevant to this travesty …