• “Push Poll” mastermind laughs the evil sardonic laugh you’d expect him too, raps bony fingers. [TPM Muckraker]

• The United States is the paragon of tolerance and diversity for all — all but “the shifty horde on our Southern border.” [Hot Johnny And All of His Pants]
• Air America was killed by Al Franken, in the studio, with the advertiser blackball! [Media Matters]
• It’s better if the electronic voting machines are hackable — any “teenager in Finland” is gonna choose better leaders than the “autofellating corporate shitbags” who do it now. [The Dilbert Blog]
• Sean Hannity is more beast than man. [Comedy Central Insider]
• Don’t call it a comeback, Rick Santorum’s been here for years, knocking out sweaty, shirtless men; putting suckas in tears. [Rick Santorum via Power Line Blog]
• Charlie Rangel has lived in Harlem for 76 years, and has yet to shoot anyone in the face. [Gawker]

• Things continued to spiral ever more out-of-control in Israel and Lebanon, with Hezbollah firing 200 rockets into Israel Wednesday and Israel’s ground troops engaging in “fierce fighting” throughout Lebanon. Agreements for an international peacekeeping force are being hashed out. [NYT]

• American Orthodox Jews are being courted by Republicans, who see themselves as being more staunchly pro-Israel than their opponents. [WP
• A number of members of congress have children or close relatives serving in the Armed Forces in Iraq. "A White House aide, who requested anonymity because his information was preliminary, said Wednesday that he knew of no top Bush administration official who had a relative who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan." [NYT]
• The out-going British Ambassador to Iraq warned Prime Minister Tony Blair that civil war is more likely in Iraq than Democracy. He said it would be “messy” for 5-10 years. [BBC]
• Connecticut Senate primary race: “[Ned] Lamont, a political novice, has support from 54 percent of likely Democratic voters in the Quinnipiac University poll, while [Sen. Joe] Lieberman has support from 41 percent of voters.” [AP]
• The Administration will present legislation to Congress giving “clarity” to the Supreme Court’s detainee treatment rulings. [NYT]
• If the Democrats fail to take Congress this year, veteran Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY) will quit. [NYT]
• It’s hot. [NOAA]

• Reliable Source: Nancy Reagan, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and Tom Brokaw will attend tomorrow’s White House dinner for Prince Charles and Camilla. . . Patrick Fitzgerald is a “confirmed bachelor”. . . John Roberts was Groucho Marx for Halloween. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: White House pool report: “In what has become something of a custom on Monday mornings in October, President Bush today announced a Supreme Court nominee.” [WT]
• Under the Dome: Interest in Scooter Libby’s 1996 novel spikes. . . Joe Biden’s not so-secret for fundraising: “Find enough beautiful women and enough guys will show up.”. . . Robert Byrd is a product of the Spanish flu of 1917-1918. . . Jane Harman, 60, runs 26-mile Marine Corps Marathon in five hours and 23 minutes. [The Hill]
• Ben Widdicombe’s Gatecrasher: Alito’s son: “I became interested in politics and got involved with Gary Condit (not like that). I served as a parking aide to Nancy Pelosi (I won’t even start on her), but was fired when Barbara Boxer came onto me.” Widdicombe responds, “Since when did college kids get so picky about sleeping with senators? No wonder the country’s going to hell.” [NYDN]
• Page Six: McCain and Giuliani dined together recently. . . Charlie Rangel asks that Cheney be tested for mental illness. . . Tucker Carlson and Moby will attempt comedy with Triumph the Insult Dog. [NYP, NYP, NYP]
• Cindy Adams: Jon Corzine’s ex-wife tells-all. . . George H.W. Bush is planning another parachute jump. [NYP]

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The Daily Briefing is on vacation. MORE »