Shiite militia takes over Iraqi city  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Shiite militia run by the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized control of a southern Iraqi city on Friday in one of the boldest acts of defiance yet by the country's powerful, unofficial armies, witnesses and police said.

Major Change Expected In Strategy for Iraq War  —  The growing doubts among GOP lawmakers about the administration's Iraq strategy, coupled with the prospect of Democratic wins in next month's midterm elections, will soon force the Bush administration to abandon its open-ended commitment to the war …

Poll: Lieberman's Lead Growing in Conn.  —  HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) — Sen. Joe Lieberman has built a 17-point lead over Democratic challenger Ned Lamont, according to the first Quinnipiac University poll since the two faced off in a debate this week.  —  Lieberman, running as an independent …

N.Korea said not planning new nuke tests  —  SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said Pyongyang didn't plan to carry out any more nuclear tests and expressed regret about the country's first-ever atomic detonation last week, South Korean news reports said Friday.

America's Next Top Pundit  —  What does it take to be a talking head?  —  Whenever news breaks — on the fall campaign trail, in North Korea, in the most trivial corners of Hollywood — thousands of pundits have something to say.  What most of them don't have is somewhere to say it.

Republican Woes Lead to Feuding by Conservatives  —  Tax-cutters are calling evangelicals bullies.  Christian conservatives say Republicans in Congress have let them down.  Hawks say President Bush is bungling the war in Iraq.  And many conservatives blame Representative Mark Foley's sexual messages to teenage pages.

After Pat's Birthday  —  Editor's note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.  Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

Top US general says Rumsfeld is inspired by God  —  MIAMI (AFP) - The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God.  —  "He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country," said Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

House Intel Chair Suspends Staff Member  —  WASHINGTON — The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has suspended a Democratic staff member pending an investigation into whether he leaked a high-level intelligence assessment to the news media.

Video: GOP's version of LBJ's "Daisy" ad debuts  —  There's something sooo familiar about this...  Before you watch, here's the McCaul Report.  Click and scroll down to page 28 and read the short section on terrorist infiltration across the Mexican border.

I'm Jealous Of His Joystick  —  I found at Glenn's, of all places, a paragraph that seemed ripped right out of the pages of my own life.  I am, you see, a video game widow.  While my husband hasn't moved on to World of Warcraft yet, that's only because he's spent the last 13 months playing Command and Conquer.

Weldon's FBI 'informant' on Curt's payroll  —  A scan of the latest Federal Election Commission filings reveals two interesting facts about the 7th District race: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee finally plunked down the big bucks — $1.58 million worth of TV ad time on Tuesday alone …

Priest: I was nude with young Foley  —  But says naked massage didn't count as sex  —  ROME — A priest acknowledged Thursday that he was naked in saunas and went skinny-dipping with Mark Foley decades ago when the former congressman was a boy in Florida, but denied that the two had sex.

Calif. Campaign in Turmoil Over Letters  —  Aide to GOP Candidate Sent Mailing Saying Immigrants Are Barred From Voting  —  A California Republican's congressional campaign went into meltdown Thursday after he said a staff member was responsible for sending thousands of letters to new voters …

Republicans' Cash Advantage Ebbs as Vote Nears  —  Democratic Fund Raising  —  Ramped Up in September;  —  Parity Seen for Final Weeks  —  The Democratic Party's three major campaign committees raised more money last month than their Republican counterparts, slicing deep …

Parvez Ahmed and Nihad Awad: Reject the political Muslim-bashing smears  —  Attacks on Keith Ellison's congressional campaign fit a disturbing pattern that has been seen across the nation this year.  —  There has been much sound and fury in certain circles about the American Muslim community's support …

During National Character Counts Week, Bush Stumps for Philanderer  —  So it has come to this: Nineteen days before the midterm elections, President Bush flew here to champion the reelection of a congressman who last year settled a $5.5 million lawsuit alleging that he beat his mistress during a five-year affair.

THE TET ANALOGY....I didn't catch this at the time, but on Tuesday Tom Friedman suggested that the recent spike of insurgent attacks in Iraq was similar to the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War.  Asked about this comparison, George Bush replied, "He could be right."

Bush, Clinton Ratchet Up the Drama  —  Money Rolls In to Md., Va. Candidates, but for Some, There May Be a Price  —  President Bush added a stern stay-the-course message on the war in Iraq to his buoyant endorsement of Virginia Sen. George Allen (R) yesterday, and the region's high-profile …