Weekend Update - Paranoia Edition

(How 'bout them Ducks, eh? Beat Stanford yesterday and they're undefeated for the season. Who woulda thought? It's already smelling like Roses, and this year we're not even afraid to say it. Are you ready? All together now, GO DUCKS!)

• Continuing with our blatant admiration for Christine O'Donnell, we give you this delightful Frank Rich column. "... those laughing now may not have the last laugh in November. O’Donnell’s timely ascent in the election season’s final lap may well prove a godsend for the G.O.P."


• When the subject turns, as it usually does, to President Obama, Glenn Beck sees lessons from history. In particular, he has seized upon two individuals who he believes provide excellent historical parallels to the 44th commander in chief: Woodrow Wilson and Adolf Hitler. And one day, he rhetorically asked his Fox News viewers: "Why did we buy Alaska in the 1950s?" A good question -- because "we" purchased Alaska in 1867. Dana Milbank explores the idiocy of Glenn Beck.


• "Dead or alive" Osama bin Laden issued yet another in a series of press releases recently, indicating, at the very least, he's not dead yet, contrary to what you might have heard. Anyone know what Dubya's been up to lately? Anyone?


• Haven't had anything new to worry about this last week? Well here's something for you: News that the US is buying custom-made vans packed with something called backscatter X-ray capacity has riled privacy advocates and sparked internet worries about "feds radiating Americans." Click here and get paranoid.


• From Michael Moore: "The election is one month from tomorrow and, yes, it looks hopeless. November 2nd -- the day the Dems are expected to crash and burn. Sadly, it's a situation the Democrats have brought upon themselves -- even though the majority of them didn't create the mess we're in. But they've had over a year and a half to start getting the job done to fix it. Instead, they've run scared ever since they took power. To many, the shellacking they're about to receive is one they deserve." And then he offers us Five Ways the Democrats Can Avoid a Catastrophe and Pull Off the Mother of All Upsets.


• We love Pete. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) is turning the tables on a political group launching attack ads against him in an attempt to bring its shadowy practices to light. On Friday, he went to the Capitol Hill headquarters of the Concerned Taxpayers of America to deliver a letter and speak with members of the organization about making its donors public. But the person who answered the door misrepresented himself and lied, saying he had never heard of Concerned Taxpayers, even though subsequent information shows that he is affiliated with the group. Watch the video here.