Former GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin endorses 3rd-party candidate in House race in upstate NY

ALBANY, N.Y. — Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has endorsed a third-party candidate over the GOP-backed contender in New York’s congressional special election, saying her own party has abandoned its core values.

UN chief praises Karzai response, calls Afghan runoff ‘huge challenge’

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. chief calls a second round of Afghan elections a “huge challenge” while commending Afghan President Hamid Karzai for endorsing a runoff next month.

No DNC in NYC: National Democrats absent from mayoral race as comptroller takes on Bloomberg

NEW YORK — A Democrat is struggling to unseat the mayor of the nation’s largest city, but top party leaders are staying on the sidelines.

Fla. county mayor’s dad jailed after allegedly confronting her with gun in political spat

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Police say a Florida mayoral candidate upset because his politician daughter endorsed someone else was arrested after confronting her with a gun.

Named by unpopular governor, NY’s junior senator must tread election bid carefully

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. David Paterson keeps sinking in the public’s opinion, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is stuck in the vortex: She has to avoid getting sucked down by the governor’s historic low ratings without appearing ungrateful to the man who picked her to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.

NJ’s GOP candidate for governor is big Bruce Springsteen fan, despite political differences

MENDHAM, N.J. — New Jersey’s Republican candidate for governor insists he’ll spend the night before his first debate at a Bruce Springsteen concert.

Mass. House approves bill creating temporary replacement for Kennedy; Bill moves to Senate

BOSTON — The Massachusetts House has given final approval to a bill allowing the governor to appoint an interim replacement for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Family confidant: Kennedy’s sons urge Mass. governor to appoint ex-DNC chairman to replace dad

BOSTON — The sons of the late Edward M. Kennedy have urged the governor to pick Paul G. Kirk Jr., the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to temporarily replace their father in the U.S. Senate.

Analysis: NYC mayor seeks support from big names who don’t matter and tiny groups no one knows

NEW YORK — Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg is likely to set another spending record in this year’s mayoral race, but he appears to be aiming for a more obscure honor as well — the candidate with the most peculiar endorsements.

NY governor ignores pressure to end 2010 election quest despite pressure from senior Democrats

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. David Paterson isn’t scrapping his plans to run for the office he inherited 18 months ago, despite growing pressure from Washington and intervention by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has contacted the governor and the White House over his concern.

ACORN grew from local charity to national conglomerate with radio stations, schools

WASHINGTON — Activist group ACORN started in 1970 to help poor people in Arkansas and by decade’s end went national, expanding into a multimillion-dollar conglomerate with a mission so far-flung that schools now bear its name, two radio stations are affiliates and a man its political arm endorsed is the president. Oh yeah — and it’s the unwilling star of a hot Internet video featuring a couple dressed as a hooker and her pimp.

Opening in Democratic-leaning California congressional district attracts many candidates

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than a dozen candidates, including the lieutenant governor, two state lawmakers and an openly gay Iraq war veteran, are running to fill an open congressional seat in a special election in Northern California next week.

Unlike his brothers, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy grew old in public spotlight

WASHINGTON — In the quiet of a Capitol elevator, one of Edward M. Kennedy’s fellow senators asked whether the Massachusetts senator had plans for a family Thanksgiving away from the nation’s capital. No, he said shaking his head in reply, and mentioned something about visiting his brothers’ gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery.

Unlike his brothers, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy grew old in public

WASHINGTON — In the quiet of a Capitol elevator, one of Edward M. Kennedy’s fellow lawmakers asked whether he had plans for a family Thanksgiving away from the nation’s capital. No, the Massachusetts senator said with a shake of his head, and mentioned something about visiting his brothers’ gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery.

Speculation about Obama visit with Kennedy on Cape Cod shows their personal, political bonds

BOSTON — When Barack Obama’s presidential prospects sagged, Sen. Edward Kennedy lifted the candidate with a coveted endorsement.

10 charged in corruption case against NYC labor union that endorsed Bloomberg re-election bid

NEW YORK — The leader of a powerful labor union that recently endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his re-election campaign was charged Wednesday with taking bribes from contractors who were scheming to cut labor costs.

10 charged in corruption case against NY labor union that endorsed Bloomberg re-election bid

NEW YORK — The FBI has arrested the leader of a powerful New York labor union that recently endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his re-election campaign.