CQPolitics.com - White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday defended President Barack Obama's track record of campaigning for House Democrats as new polling shows their party taking a nose dive.

AP - Delaware Republicans call Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell a liar who "could not be elected dog catcher" in a fierce attack that underscores GOP fears of the tea party-backed candidate knocking off top recruit Rep. Mike Castle and winning the nomination.

AP - Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina exchanged feisty jabs on taxes, the economy and their records in Congress and corporate America during the first debate in their Senate race.

AP - Rep. Chet Edwards, an imperiled Democrat deep in the heart of Republican territory, finds exiting American Legion Post No. 273 slow going. Supporters and well-wishers keep stopping him.

AP - It's been three years since Scott Eckersley was fired after asserting that his then-boss, former Gov. Matt Blunt, and others in Blunt's administration should not be deleting certain e-mails because they belonged to the public record.

AFP - President Barack Obama's Democratic allies will defy glum forecasts of a rout in November elections and keep control of the House and Senate, one of the party's congressional leaders said Thursday.

AP - Delaware Republicans call Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell a liar who "could not be elected dog catcher" in a fierce attack that underscores GOP fears of the tea party-backed candidate knocking off top recruit Rep. Mike Castle and winning the nomination.

Time.com - The candidates for Senator are equally combative, and both are dependent on one group of voters for victory: independents