Marc Ambinder

A bagful of developments overnight: 1. A big FLA GOV debate last night, but the headline is that Democrat Alex Sink violated debate rules by having a make-up artist show her a text message relating to something factual. The headline from the dean of the FL political press corps calls her a "Cheat." Sink fires the aide who sent the message. Neither Sink nor Rick Scott (R) performed especially well. Both botched answers on the minimum wage. Sink was ribbed by the… More »

The big reveal from the hundreds of thousands of documents posted on Wikileaks today is probably going to be the incredibly awful reports of systematized detainee abuse by Iraqi soldiers and security forces right under the noses of the American-led coalition, which appears to have had virtually no incentive to put a stop to them. An operational order called Frago 242 was sent to commanders in 2004, ordering, in essence, that only detainee abuse allegations… More »

The former president's humiliating slip endangered the country in a big way More »

Depending which image voters believe, Connecticut's race could tip the Senate toward the GOP More »

Her campaign pitches reporters a pretty compelling ad More »

Execution of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discharges now falls to the secretaries of the Army, Air Force, and Navy More »

Republicans have so far requested and returned more ballots than Democrats--but there are a few caveats More »

The Pentagon has a lot of room to maneuver More »

If voters choose kooky newcomer Rand Paul, they will show just how fed up they really are More »

John Hickenlooper was assumed to be a shoo-in--but that was before anti-immigration icon Tom Tancredo hijacked the race More »

The president's opposition to outside interest groups and his alienation of pro-business donors could hurt Democrats in 2012 More »

If she has her eye on the presidency, she needs to learn that details matter More »

As of today, military recruiters will have to accept openly gay applicants. But how permanent is this step? More »

Faltering Tea Party candidates are the GOP's Achilles heel this cycle More »

Messaging is irrelevant unless economic circumstances play along More »

California is providing tabloid entertainment for the nation More »

The Kentucky Democrat is targeting older voters who want to protect benefits--but will he send them scurrying into Paul's arms? More »

The elections may hinge on turning out less likely voters, whom Republicans seem to be doing a better job of energizing More »

As President Obama contemplates governing after November 2, he has several times reminded his senior staff that he would like to see more women in positions of authority. That's not just for the sake of appearances, in the president's mind: it's that he is sensitive to, and accepts, to some degree, the criticism, that his turret of top staff has become too male and cloistered. (Senior adviser Valerie Jarrett is the obvious exception, but she does not want to become… More »

Will this year's Democratic discontent tip a rematch of a 2008 race in the GOP's direction? More »