The Kennedy KGB letter Updated with info about the NIE leak  —  So you want answers, eh?  Not satisfied with the CNS report?  —  I've got answers.  —  There's a new book on Ronald Reagan making the rounds, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.

Bush: I Won't Change Strategy in Iraq  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush conceded Friday that "right now it's tough" for American forces in Iraq, but the White House said he would not change U.S. strategy in the face of pre-election polls that show voters are upset.

Exclusive: Feds Probe a Top Democrat's Relationship with AIPAC  —  The Department of Justice is investigating whether Rep. Jane Harman and the pro-Israel group worked together to get her reappointed as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee  —  Did a Democratic member …

China May Press North Koreans  —  China is prepared to step up pressure on North Korea in coming weeks by reducing oil shipments, among other measures, if the country refuses to return to negotiations or conducts more nuclear tests, Chinese government advisers and scholars who have discussed the matter with the leadership say.

Iran 'blocks Israel soldier deal'  —  Israel's ambassador to the UN has accused Iran of paying Hamas $50m to block the release of an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants.  —  The ambassador in New York, Dan Gillerman, made the claim without giving any further evidence or details.

Boo!?  An Inevitable October Surprise  —  In the Month Before Elections, a Glut of 'Gotcha' Stories  —  The October surprise: It's as much a seasonal sure thing in Washington as cherry blossoms and the National Christmas Tree.  —  When leaves fall and elections loom, the term gets tossed around more than a Manning family football.

Officials Probing Possible Theft of Voting Software in Md.  —  Ex-Delegate Says FBI Contacted Her About Disks She Received  —  The FBI is investigating the possible theft of software developed by the nation's leading maker of electronic voting equipment, said a former Maryland legislator …

Censoring Iraq  —  Why are there so few reporters with American troops in combat?  Don't blame the media.  —  In a counterinsurgency, the media battlespace is critical.  When it comes to mustering public opinion, rallying support, and forcing opponents to shift tactics and timetables …

Poll Signals More Republican Woes As Disapproval of Congress Grows  —  WASHINGTON — With just 19 days until the midterm elections, a new poll shows both President Bush and his party in worse shape among voters than Democrats were in the October before they lost control of Capitol Hill a dozen years ago.

Weller refers incident to House  —  WASHINGTON — Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Morris, through his election attorney, moved Thursday to inform the House that a former male page or intern may have been the subject of inappropriate attention from another lawmaker, Weller's campaign manager said Thursday.

The Politics of Dancing  —  FDR and Reagan had more fun than their successors do.  —  Everyone is focusing on the polls and spreadsheets, on the scandals and negative ads.  This in fact may be the year negative advertising reached critical mass. Voters are no longer running from the room saying …

Why 112 cars are burning every day  —  A year after the Paris riots violence and despair continue to grip the immigrant suburbs  —  FLAMES lick around a burning car on a tiny telephone screen.  Omar, 17, a veteran of France's suburban riots, replayed the sequence with pride.  "It was great.

VP Bill?  Depends on Meaning of 'Elected'  —  The prospective presidential candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton has given rise to plenty of speculation about the notion of Bill Clinton as the nation's first gentleman.  But what about another role?  How about, say, vice president?