This (shortened) week in politics for October 18

A long weekend means a shortened week, so the items of note this week:

• Election season is scandal and probe season: Weldon faces probe on daughter's deals
• How does an elected official plead guilty of crimes directly related to his elected position and not resign that same day? Ney pleads guilty, says he'll resign
• How does the White House spokesman get away with campaigning for Republicans? Bush’s Press Secretary Is Raising Money, and Some Eyebrows
• This may be the headline, but let’s remember that the Republican opponent is also the Ohio Secretary of State (the one who guaranteed Ohio for Bush and delivered in 2004) and governs elections: Democrat leads in Ohio governor's race
• I can’t even begin to go into all that is wrong with this: Bush Signs New Rules to Prosecute Terror Suspects
• Former staffer for the White House Office of Faith Based Initiatives (don’t get me started on what’s wrong with that in general) has come out with a book claiming that the White House was only looking to take advantage of Christian voters: Kuo: White House 'Seduces Christians'
• The undersell continues with a slew of pundits claiming a potential GOP loss in one or both houses, but beware—this is how they do it. Just ask Bush and Rove: White House Upbeat About GOP: Self-Assurance of Bush, Rove and Others Is Not Shared by Many in the Party