With Congress set to weigh in on the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department's plan to rescue Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the increase in political contributions by the two corporations' political action committees is receiving extra attention.

In this the season of their discontent, Republican leaders are pointing the finger of blame, all the while positioning themselves to take over their battered and bruised party in 2012.

The illicit trafficking of tobacco is a multibillion-dollar business today, fueling organized crime and corruption, robbing governments of needed tax money, and spurring addiction to a deadly product.

The McCain campaign is skewering the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) for turning in fallacious voter registration forms.