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Short of Money, GOP is Enlisting Rich Candidates - Short of Votes, GOP is Enlisting Losing Candidates

Rice's Turnabout on Mideast Peace Talks - Condi swirls in her new ball gown, and absolutely everyone will be there, from the senior clerk in the ladies shoe department of Syria's second biggest department store to the manager of camel grooming in Jordan's mounted police. Washington on fire with rumor of special guest appearance by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as stand-up comedy act for kick-off dinner.

In West Iowa, Obama's Man Thinks Locally - "Prolonged harvest = delay in availability of volunteers = yikes, how much longer can I respond on my own to every grumpy old coot with a question on social security. I need a night off so badly I can taste it, just one night out of Iowa, I don't care if have to swim the Missouri in December to get to Omaha."

Musharraf Rival Returns to Rally Pakistan Dissent - General Musharraf, you should have given Mr. Sharif time to use the rest room the last time he landed in Pakistan, he seems to be really upset, don't listen to Karl Rove next time.

Missouri No. 1? College Football Surprises Again - Top ranked LSU and second ranked Kansas fall leaving Missouri and West Virginia in the hot seats with Ohio State lurking. Has even one weekend passed without one or both of the top ranked teams losing this year? West Virginia takes on Pitt, a traditional rivalry, complete with overhyped "Backyard Brawl" nickname, that often produces a close game regardless of the spread. Missouri will face traditional powerhouse Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference Championship. In 2007, bet that at least one will lose.

New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot and Sweaty in India - Handling molten iron in bare feet, yes NY Times - it does sound like a safety issue, but maybe they are hire only swamis who train for the job by walking across hot coals. The real question is when will they start marking the points of the compass on those manhole covers?