Following in John Kerry's footsteps, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) flew to Damascus to play footsie with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday. The Bush White House, which supported Specter over conservative challenger Pat Toomey, had no comment.

I'm up in NYC tonight guest-hosting The O'Reilly Factor. Catch the show on Fox News tonight at 8pm or 11pm Eastern. *** Update: Speaking of O'Reilly, check out Power Line's report on how O'Reilly's reception in Iraq compared to John Kerry's--photographic evidence included.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's American tools and fools in the U.S. Senate: Bill Nelson, John Kerry, Christopher Dodd and Arlen Specter.

The Hill reports that Hillary Clinton has hired a "faith guru" and that other Dem prez contenders are also rushing into the pews: Burns Strider, one of the Democratic Party’s leading strategists on winning over evangelicals and other values-driven voters, will join Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as she prepares to launch her 2008 presidential... Read More

I haven't been overly thrilled with the GOP presidential candidates so far, but it looks like the other side has it worse. Wes Clark seems like he's ready to jump in again--prompting James Joyner to observe: That's for sure. Word's out this morning that one Democratic governor has jumped in: Iowa's Tom Vilsack: Democratic Gov.... Read More

Photoshop via Stubborn Facts They just can't help themselves. In case you needed to be reminded which party puts playing politics with the war above serious solutions, here's the video of Rep. Charlie Rangel on Sunday resurrecting the draft--as a way to deter the White House and Congress from launching wars. And for those who... Read More

I'm hanging it up for the night, er, morning. Unlike Michael Moore in 2004, however, I will not be staying in bed for three days in a catatonic state. I will not need PEST shock therapy. I will not move to Australia. A moonbat reader e-mailed a taunt earlier this evening: The GOP lost. Conservatism... Read More

John Kerry has been found! I don't why this came into my mailbox this morning, but it did. Reprinting for the snort-worthiness of it: Dear Friend, We've been working hard to get to this moment. And, here we are -- we can see the finish line. But, if we want to produce the Democratic victories... Read More

I wrote last week that we'd see more outbreaks of anti-military vandalism leading up to Election Day. In upstate New York on Halloween eve, "(expletive) Bush" and a depiction of a penis were scrawled on the 20-by-40-foot flag and similar pictures in the same shade of green were painted on the American Legion Mohawk Post.... Read More

***updated with more info*** The Wall Street Journal reports on a "new breed" of poll watchers who will be out in full force tomorrow. Beware. Behind the civic-minded facade are far Left radicals whose main conern is not in ensuring a fair election process--but in preemptively undermining and delegitimizing it: When Americans go to vote... Read More

John Kerry's "botched joke"/habitual troop slander has soaked up most of the blogosphere and MSM's attention the past week. But under the radar screen, another embarrassing controversy involving the Democrats and the military has been brewing. Two separate Democrat ad campaigns--run statewide by Missouri Senate candiate Claire McCaskill and run nationally on CNN and FOX... Read More

A reader sent Matt at Blackfive another classic banner message from the troops to John Kerry, on display at the Army-Air Force Game last night: Photo from Blackfive Another soon-to-be viral photo you won't see in the MSM! *** Related: Gold Star Families go to Iraq.

She's sorry now The blogospheric-led uproar, spearheaded by Winfield Myers, over University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann's idiotic decision to pose for a Halloween photo with a student in suicide bomber gear has yielded results. Here's her apology: Good for her for not taking the John Kerry route and blaming "assorted right-wing nutjobs." But Myers... Read More

***update: Kerry un-apologizes*** My old friend D.F. Oliveria at the Spokane Spokesman-Review sends along an exclusive photo that you will not see on the front page of the New York Times or the Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times. Do you see who's signing the poster? (Hint below.) I bet the Minnesota National Guard... Read More

Roughly one in six or seven of my e-mails over the last 12 hours has included an attachment of the famous "Stuck in Irak" banner response to John Kerry. Hugh Hewitt notes MSM newspapers where you can't find the photo and wants to know if it ran in your local paper. But you know what... Read More

The Philly Daily News cover today: Right photo, wrong spin (hat tip: Richard Davis) So much for John Kerry's "joke" excuse. He meant what he said and, as Rove says, it's a lifelong habit. Someone other than Jennifer Loven at the Associated Press reports on Kerry's disparaging remarks in 1972 about America's volunteer army--which he... Read More

***9:12pm Eastern update: Video of Kerry's remarks now up at Hot Air. Notice the perfect, seamless delivery of the "botched" joke. I'm with Dafyyd: I also share Ace's skepticism about the prepared text remarks from the Kerry camp.*** And milblogger Smash hits the nail on the head: Kerry's actual remarks (as opposed to what he... Read More

***2:15pm Eastern update: Watch the press corps frenzy*** Attention, John Kerry: Here's a banner message from the troops "stuck in Iraq" that's spreading like wildfire across the 'Net. (Hat tip: Leonard and Anthony J.) Click for enlarged photo: Laffing out lowd! Update: Drudge just picked up on it. It's gone viral. Well done, troops. ***... Read More

***scroll for updates*** Dan Riehl notes that libs are rallying behind Kerry because he was just speaking "the truth." Via the SFChronicle website: (Note: Images removed 06/07/2007 to facilitate web site re-design. As of June 2007, the SF Chronicle link still works.) Chickenhawk invocation? Check. Absolute moral authority card? Check. Unapologetic elitism? Check. Check. Check.... Read More

Guess the NYTimes couldn't stand to see the Associated Press doing all the water-carrying for Kerry and the Dems. Here's the Times' contribution to the save-Kerry's-backside campaign available tonight on the Times website. The headline? Nope, not "Kerry scorns troops, Bush defends military." This: You have to read 15 paragraphs down into the story before... Read More

***update: Kerry to speak at 2pm press conference...I expect nothing less than full-throated indignance, condescension, and blame avoidance...great news for the GOP...see, what did I tell ya: Kerry: "I apologize to no one for my criticisms of President Bush..." ***update: American Legion asks for apology: The National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen.... Read More

***12:30pm update.***Kerry adviser admits to National Journal's Hotline that Kerry's smear came out "mangled." McCain to repeat demand for apology on camera at 1pm. Here's Kerry's non-apology: Digging in, blaming conservatives, condescending as ever. 11:57am update. Drudge: McCain calls on Kerry to apologize. Well now that their favorite maaaverick has spoken, I guess the MSM... Read More

Feedback continues to pour in this morning: *** Michelle, I can't tell you how much this kind of thing ticks me off. So I just relate my daughter's story, because I know she wouldn't.

***10/31 7:35am updated with more reax below... ...909am update San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Pasadena Star News reports on the Angelides campaign event at Pasadena City College where Kerry trashed the troops..."Kerry then told the students that if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs - "If you don't, you get... Read More

Here's a bit of a report by Candy Crowley at the Jihadist Sniper News Network putting people to a Democrat word association test (here's the link, but you don't need to click): Wanna play? Feel free to chime in.