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Okay, this is getting really good. Dem Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii is going to introduce a resolution on the House floor today that seems designed to put House GOPers who are flirting with birtherism in a jam. The measure Abercrombie will introduce commemorates the 50th anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood. But here’s the rub, his spokesman tells me: It describes Hawaii as Barack Obama’s birthplace. “In the language of the resolution, there is a statement that Hawaii is the birthplace of the 44th President of the United States,” Abercrombie spokesman Dave Helfert confirms. That confronts House GOPers with a choice:...

IBD/TIPP Tracking Poll: Final Estimate Posted: Monday, November 03, 2008 Final IBD/TIPP Tracking Poll Shows Obama Leading McCain 51.5% to 44.3% With just hours to go before the polls open Tuesday, the latest and final IBD/TIPP Tracking Poll shows Sen. Barack Obama with a 7.2-point lead over Sen. John McCain (51.5% Obama vs. 44.3% McCain). All other candidates garner a combined 4.2%. This tally represents IBD/TIPP’s final estimate after allocating undecided voters. View Results From Prior Days About IBD/TIPP: An analysis of Final Certified Results for the 2004 election showed IBD's polling partner, TIPP, was the most accurate pollster of...

With despair rising even among many of John McCain’s own advisors, influential Republicans inside and outside his campaign are engaged in an intense round of blame-casting and rear-covering—-much of it virtually conceding that an Election Day rout is likely. At his Northern Virginia headquarters, some McCain aides are already speaking of the campaign in the past tense. Morale, even among some of the heartiest and most loyal staffers, has plummeted. And many past and current McCain advisors are warring with each other over who led the candidate astray. One well-connected Republican in the private sector was shocked to get calls...

Alexandria (web|news) - We have the tape of a 911 call made by John McCain (web|news|bio) 's brother earlier this week. He called the police emergency line because he was angry he was stuck in traffic. The 911 call came into the City of Alexandria on Oct. 21st That's creating some buzz because it appears to come from Joe McCain, John McCain's brother. Operator: 911 state your emergency Caller: It's not an emergency but do you know why on one side at the damn drawbridge of 95traffic is stopped for 15 minutes and yet traffic's coming the other way? Operator:...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama reports raising more than $150 million in September in an unprecedented eruption of political giving. The influx of money has helped the Illinois senator expand the field of competitive states and has widened his financial advantage over Republican rival John McCain. The monthly figure pushed Obama's total fundraising to $605 million, unseen before in presidential politics. The campaign offered no details, but must submit a monthly report to the Federal Election Commission on Monday.

In the midst of the financial crisis last week, John McCain called for the resignation of Christopher Cox, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. But who would the Republican presidential candidate choose to replace him? New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo — who is, among other things, a Democrat. McCain made his preference known during an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, which was taped late last week and broadcast Sunday evening. “This may sound a little unusual, but I’ve admired Andrew Cuomo,” McCain said. “I think he is somebody who could — restore some credibility, lend some...

WASILLA, Alaska - Bristol Palin's boyfriend plans to join the family of the Republican vice presidential candidate at the convention in Minnesota. Levi Johnston's mother said her 18-year-old son left Alaska on Tuesday morning to join the Palin family in St. Paul. Sherry Johnston also said there has been no pressure put on her son to marry Bristol Palin, the pregnant daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

BI Director Robert S. Mueller said Thursday the government's terrorist surveillance program was the topic of a 2004 hospital room dispute between top Bush administration officials, contradicting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' sworn Senate testimony. Mueller was not in the hospital room at the time of the dramatic March 10, 2004, confrontation between then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and presidential advisers Andy Card and Gonzales, who was then serving as White House counsel. Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee he arrived shortly after they left, and spoke with the ailing Ashcroft. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further...

State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent distribute cocaine, federal and state authorities said at a news conference at SLED headquarters this afternoon. According to the indictment, beginning in 2005 — before he was elected state treasurer — Ravenel conspired with Michael L. Miller to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, Ravenel faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The Charleston Republican raised millions of dollars to unseat long-term Democratic incumbent Grady Patterson in November. He...

The President’s Job Approval has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports. Just 34% of American adults now Approve of the way that George W. Bush is performing his duties as President (see comments on comparing Approval Ratings from different polling firms). Just 71% of Republicans now offer their approval. His support among men has fallen to 35%. The President’s ratings have tumbled each time immigration reform dominates the news. While the President advocates a “comprehensive” reform focused primarily on legalizing the status of illegal aliens, our most recent survey shows that most voters favor an enforcement...

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who’s running for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, established a low bar for rivals to clear in disclosing his initial campaign contribution totals. At a breakfast with reporters in Washington, hours before the midnight deadline for the end of the first quarter of 2007, Mr. Huckabee said he had met his goal of raising $500,000 for the quarter and would report having roughly $300,000 in cash on hand. That’s a fraction of what some other candidates in both parties will have raised; fellow Republican Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, raised more than $6-million at...

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson appeared to throw cold water on a possible presidential bid by former Sen. Fred Thompson while praising former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also weighing a presidential run, in a phone interview Tuesday. Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for," Dobson said of Thompson. "[But] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression," Dobson added, saying that such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party's conservative Christian base and win the...

The Dems and the liberals and the far lefties are calling for his head supposedly because he wanted to fire some United States attorneys. I say supposedly because that is not really what it's about. What this is really all about is bashing Bush and Cheney and Rummy and anybody else considered central to this administration. The liberals want to pummel Bush every time they get a chance. It will just further condemn him in the minds of voters, and the Dems and far lefties think it will make voters reluctant to ever vote Republican again. That is what it...

dramatic split inside the Bush White House is coming to light on the first day of the Lewis Libby trial. At this moment, defense lawyer Ted Wells is making an impassioned opening argument, and much of it is a hard-edged attack on Libby's former White House colleague Karl Rove. "There will be some people at the White House — at the White House, not the office of the vice president — who you will learn may have pushed reporters to write stories about Mrs. Wilson," Wells said. "There may be people at the State Department who pushed reporters to write...

FIRST DAUGHTER JENNA BUSH -- USING DC SUPERLAWYER ROBERT BARNETT -- SHOPPING BOOK TO TOP NYC PUBLISHERS, US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT IS SET TO REPORT... DEVELOPING...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki voiced frustration with both President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday, saying their recent criticism of the Iraqi government probably helped the "terrorists." Al-Maliki, whose relationship with the United States is strained, was especially upset about Rice's comment last week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when she said that al-Maliki's government is working on "borrowed time." "Such statements give moral boosts to the terrorists and push them towards making an extra effort and making them believe that they have defeated the American administration, but I can tell...

Rep. Ron Paul has filed papers in Texas to create a presidential exploratory committee that will allow him to raise money, the Associated Press reported late Thursday. The nine-term congressman from southeast Texas was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988 and received more than 400,000 votes, the AP reported. This time he plans to run as a Republican.

David Beckham will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy at the end of the season. The 31-year-old former England captain will sign a five-year deal, reportedly worth £128m. Beckham said: "This week Real asked me to make a decision regarding their offer to extend my contract. "After considering several options to stay in Madrid or join other major British and European teams, I have decided to join LA Galaxy." In a statement, Beckham continued: "I would like to thank the supporters and people of Madrid who have made my family and I feel so welcome...

YORK -- People all over a large part of New York City are smelling a gas, and it's not clear where it's coming from. Numerous people have called 911 concerned about the odor. Con Edison, the Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating. PATH service has been suspended into the 33rd Street station. Service is still going into the World Trade Center station. Macy's department store has been evacuated, according to reports. There also are unconfirmed reports of a similar smell across the river in New Jersey. People between Midtown and Battery Park are reported to be smelling...

Later this evening, another video of the hanging popped up, this time being shown on Al-Jazeera and Arabiya, two Arabic TV channels based in the Gulf. The new video was of poor quality, was very jerky, and had clearly been shot on a cell phone or some similar device from below by one of the two dozen witnesses to the event. It also had sound. The picture it gave of Saddam’s last moments was very different from the edited, silent version that the Iraqi government had released earlier. There are five men in black face masks who are visible on...