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- Here's what the energized conservative base is prioritizing a week before the midterms: The Tea Party Nation is pushing voters to "retire" Rep. Keith Ellison because "he is the only Muslim member of [C]ongress" (he's actually one of two). The Republican National Lawyers Association warns that George Soros is going to "buy the election" through his "Secretary of State Project" (Soros was last seen "sitting out" this election season). And finally, various "pro-family" and "pro-marriage" groups are spending $700,000 to convince Iowa voters to throw out the three of the seven judges who ruled in favor of allowing same-sex marriage last year.
- I'm not sure why Chris Cillizza considers it newsworthy to conclude that next week's election results will tell us very little about Barack Obama's re-election chances in two years. Besides the simple passage of time making the political environment different, the very electorate that turns out on Election Day for a midterm is quite different from the one that turns out for a presidential election. Obviously, if the Democrats had 2008 turnout today, things would be looking quite different.
- The New York Times reports that the president and his aides "see potential for bipartisan cooperation on reducing the deficit, passing stalled free-trade pacts and revamping the education bill known as No Child Left Behind" despite the possibility of the Republican-controlled House. John Quiggin translates: "Mr Obama and his aides plan a series of pre-emptive capitulations, after which the Republicans will demand the repeal of the healthcare act (or maybe abolition of Social Security). When/if that is refused, the Repugs will shut down the government, and this time they will hold their nerve until Obama folds." I hope he's wrong but fear he's right.
- Remainders: Five political memes that deserve to die; a Massachusetts man confronts anti-abortion protesters; when Bill Clinton dines out, it's quite a show; and Tom DeLay goes to court.
-- Mori Dinauer
