U.S. Central Command Charts Sharp Movement of the Civil Conflict in Iraq Toward Chaos  —  A classified briefing prepared two weeks ago by the United States Central Command portrays Iraq as edging toward chaos, in a chart that the military is using as a barometer of civil conflict.

After slip-up on US Iraq troops, Kerry retreats from campaign trail  —  WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Senator John Kerry said he is pulling back from campaigning ahead of next week's midterm elections to avoid the continued distraction created by his remarks that Americans who neglect their education would "get stuck in Iraq."

Kerry cancels Mankato appearance  —  The dueling rallies scheduled for Mankato today on behalf of Republican congressman Gil Gutknecht and Democratic challenger Tim Walz lost some of their pizzaz Tuesday night when Sen. John Kerry pulled out of the Democratic rally.

Governor race a tossup … The Maryland governor's race is a virtual tie less than a week before Election Day, as Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s relentless attacks on Mayor Martin O'Malley's record on crime and schools have eroded the Democrat's support in the Baltimore suburbs, a new poll for The Sun shows.

Letter from Mike Stark  —  The following is a letter to NBC29 from Mike Stark, the man who was tackled for a comment he made at Senator Allen's campaign stop in Charlottesville on Tuesday.  —  My name is Mike Stark.  I am a law student at the University of Virginia, a marine, and a citizen journalist.

WHY DID HE DO IT?  —  John Kerry's gaffe yesterday was a self-inflicted wound, greatly compounded by his refusal to apologize and his bizarre attack on the Republicans, as if they had somehow made him stick his foot in his mouth.  One wonders what possessed Kerry to say that soldiers are both dumb and lazy …

N. Korea Agrees to Return To Talks  —  North Korea agreed yesterday to return to the six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, just three weeks after it conducted its first test of a nuclear device.  —  The country's unexpected decision, which was announced by Chinese and U.S. officials in Beijing …

House control in range for Democrats-Reuters poll  —  WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Democrats are ahead in races for 12 of 15 key Republican-held seats in the U.S. House one week before the Nov. 7 elections, placing them within striking range of winning control of the chamber, according to Reuters/Zogby polls released on Wednesday.

Money trails lead to Bush judges  —  A four-month investigation reveals that dozens of federal judges gave contributions to President Bush and top Republicans who helped place them on the bench.  A Salon/CIR exclusive. … At least two dozen federal judges appointed by President Bush since 2001 …

This Is No Fun  —  I just thought I would go on record stating that the last few weeks and months have really sucked for me.  I spent my whole life in the GOP- starting in 1984 with county meetings, going to Teenage Republican camp (my friends called it Hitler Youth Camp …

What's Wrong With The Press Corps?  —  This.  Greenwald comments: … It's not just unseemly, it's unprofessional.  The point of journalism, of punditry, of analysis, is that it's independent.  That doesn't mean it's not ideological, or even totally non-partisan, but that it's not written to attract external approval.

They don't support our troops  —  ***scroll for updates***  —  Dan Riehl notes that libs are rallying behind Kerry because he was just speaking "the truth."  Via the SFChronicle website:  —  Chickenhawk invocation?  Check.  Absolute moral authority card?  Check.  Unapologetic elitism?

RANGEL & VEEP IN ALL-OUT WAR  —  REP. RIPS 'S.O.B.' AFTER TAX ASSAULT  —  Rep. Charles Rangel yesterday blasted Dick Cheney as a "son of a bitch" after the vice president said the Harlem lawmaker would raise taxes and destroy the economy if Democrats take control of the House.

Why Some Top Republicans Think They May Still Have the Last Laugh  —  The President, The Vice President and Karl Rove are all over the airwaves predicting that, against the apparent odds, the GOP will keep both houses of Congress next Tuesday.  White House officials say this is not just cheerleading …

Partisan Trends: Dems Peaking at the Right Time  —  In the final full month before Election 2006, the number of people identifying themselves as Republicans has fallen to its lowest level since we began reporting this measure of partisan trends in January 2004.

Pelosi's Unintelligent Choice  —  If Democrats win control of the House next week, Nancy Pelosi's first test as speaker will arrive long before the 110th Congress convenes.  Her choice to head the House intelligence committee — unlike other House committees, this one is left entirely …

Dems hold record 15-point edge over GOP  —  NBC/WSJ poll: Worst may be over for Republicans after Foley sex scandal … WASHINGTON -  —  Mark Murray  —  The final pre-election NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll suggests that Democrats continue to have a significant advantage heading …

Blagojevich holds steady despite latest allegations  —  Gov. Rod Blagojevich maintained a sizable advantage over Republican Judy Baar Topinka even as new corruption allegations surfaced involving his close supporters, a new Tribune/WGN-Ch. 9 poll shows.  —  A week before the election …

House Democrats Propose More Spending for Military and Education  —  GOP Says Plan Would Imperil Efforts to Balance Budget  —  As part of their midterm election push, House Democrats are promoting a wide-ranging legislative agenda that would add tens of billions of dollars a year …

Wages, benefits on upswing  —  WASHINGTON — Wages and benefits paid to American workers rose last quarter by the most since 2004, as the unemployment rate matched a five-year low.  —  The Labor Department said Tuesday that its employment cost index rose 1 percent compared with the second quarter.