Daily Kos updates the Governor races with his unique maps showing outcomes based on a few different case scenarios.

John Mink, widower of the late Patsy Mink who died September 28, has entered the House race for her seat in Hawaii. If he wins in a special election on Nov. 30, he will serve out the final weeks of her term. If Patsy Mink is re-elected posthumously on November 5, a second special election will be held January 4 to fill her vacancy. John Mink said he will not run in the Jan. 4 election.

The AP is reporting that the late Patsy Mink may win her Hawaii House seat in the November election. At least the Democrats think so.

"Democrats expect Rep. Patsy Mink to win re-election in Hawaii next month – even though she died Sept. 28. Then comes another election for the seat with her widower running. And then maybe another. The Republican candidate, ex-Marine Bob McDermott, has been feuding with party leaders and has received virtually no support from a state GOP that had discounted his chances of beating Mink. But controversy over the scheduling of as many as three rapid-fire elections for her district is giving Republicans new hope for the longtime Democratic seat."

Look to Daily Kos, MyDD , Hamster and Political Wire for analysis on this tomorrow. Actually, for the best in election coverage and news, you should visit them every day, along with Atrios/Eschaton/.

In South Carolina, the race is close between Republican and former House Impeachment Trial Manager Lindsay Graham and Democratic Challenger Alex Sanders. We continue to support Sanders. Here is what he said yesterday on Meet the Press when questioned about the death penalty and abortion rights:

MR. RUSSERT: But you have said, and I'll show it on the screen, that you've been saying all your life that capital punishment is contrary to the will of God.

MR. SANDERS: I have said that and that is my sincere religious belief. Now let me say it would be the easiest thing in the world for me to change my opinion about that. I could simply say in the wake of 9/11, I've revisited the will of God and I've decided that God's changed his mind and that would absolutely prohibit whatever political burden I have, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to continue to stand up for what I believe and I think people respect that, at least they do in South Carolina.

But let me say again, the death penalty is just a diversion from the differences between us on Social Security, the budget, corporate crime and the other issues that legitimately divide us. So when I go to Washington, I'm not going to try to impose my religion on the country; I simply ask that people not impose their religion on me.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe that abortion is contrary to the will of God?

MR. SANDERS: I do not.

MR. RUSSERT: Why not?

MR. SANDERS: Abortion is a legitimate choice that a woman makes. I don’t believe in abortion in the sense that I think abortion is a good idea. It’s just that I don’t think it’s a decision that the government should make for a woman.

Our prior support of Sanders is here.

The New York Times today reports that New Jersey Republican senatorial candidate Douglas Forrester is on the defensive about some newspaper articles he wrote over a decade ago when he was an unpaid columnist for the now defunct West Windsor-Plainsboro Chronicle, "opposing drunken-driving checkpoints, criticizing New Jersey's ban on assault weapons and saying that Atlantic City had "the subtle beauty of a streetwalker."

We think this is much ado about nothing, and could increase support for him. For example, we don't support roadside sobriety checkpoints either. Other than Mothers Against Drunk Driving and cops, we don't know why anyone would.

It might be helpful to Lautenberg if Forrester said he opposed drunk driving arrests, but he didn't: he said he opposes the random stopping of vehicles at a predetermined checkpoint without reasonable grounds to believe the driver of the car being stopped has done anything wrong.

The assault weapons ban opposition might have been important, only it's value is diminished by the fact that Forrester now says he supports the ban.

And if we were Lautenberg, we wouldn't brag about writing the law that used federal transportation funds to encourage states to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21. If the age of 18 renders one old enough to go to war, it's also old enough to drink. New Jersey has lots of voters between the ages of 18 and 21.

We hope Lautenberg wins, but we don't think negative campaigning over non-issues and old positions that may be supported rather than opposed by a lot of voters is the way to do it.

Independent party candidate Tom Golisano, running for Governor of New York, is taking to the airwaves to condem the draconian Rockefeller laws. Golisano will call today for the laws' repeal and begin broadcasting commercials "that accuse Gov. George E. Pataki of offering a Rockefeller plan that is "not real reform."

Golisano's right. Pataki made a campaign promise last time around to reform the Rockefeller drug laws. He hasn't kept it.

Roger Stone, Golisano's campaign manager said today: "Tom Golisano is the most conservative candidate in this race, and he is acknowledging that the Rockefeller laws are harsh, ineffective and expensive," Mr. Stone said, noting that more than $700 million is spent yearly to incarcerate drug offenders. "We are hopeful that his position will give others now the cover they need to get these laws repealed."

For more on the Rockefeller drug laws and Pataki's earlier promises, go here and here.

NORML and other drug-law reform organizations today filed a federal admintistrative petition to reclassify marijuana so that doctors may prescribe it for medical purposes.

"The petition argues that the scientific record doesn't support the DEA's classification that marijuana has no accepted medical use in the United States, is unsafe for use, and has a high potential for abuse. The federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) classifies drugs in five distinct categories - Schedule I through V - with Schedule I drugs being strictly prohibited. Federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance without medical value."

In Seattle, an initiative has been certified on the ballot that would make enforcement of marijuana laws the lowest priority of law enforcement.

"Proponents of a citywide initiative to minimize the amount of time local police spend enforcing marijuana possession laws announced last week that county election officials have certified their proposal for this November's electoral ballot. If passed, Initiative 75 would require the Seattle Police Department and the City Attorney's Office to make the "investigation, arrest and prosecution" of adults for pot possession the city's "lowest law enforcement priority."

And in Oakland, "a pair of California medical marijuana patients and providers brought suit Wednesday to demand the federal government stop targeting those who use and grow the drug legally under state law. The suit is in response to a recent wave of federal raids and arrests of California medical marijuana patients and cooperatives."

Instapundit, as a strong supporter of states' rights, favors the lawsuit but doesn't think it will win.

My DD quotes from the Hauser Report on the battles in the Senate. Among those in trouble on the Republican side is Wayne Allard of Colorado. He and Democratic challenger Tom Strickland are running neck and neck in the polls with Zogby showing them equal at 42 percent each. Political Wire reported recently that independent voters are favoring Strickland by a large margin.

The campaign is nearing the end. Strickland needs help for his tv ads that have been very effective. Tim Russert said on Meet the Press a few weeks ago that this has become the most important race in the country because it could determine whether the Democrats or Republicans control of the senate.

We were at a fundraiser for Strickland last night. We've known him and his family for fifteen years as our kids went to school together. We've also observed his management and leadership skills first-hand when he was the U.S. Attorney in Colorado (appointed by Clinton, fired by Bush). As anyone who reads TalkLeft knows, it's rare that we praise prosecutors. Strickland did a great job. He took an office that was low in morale and performance and turned it around. By elevating the professionalism and spirit of his prosecutors, federal court became a fairer place for defendants. He was one of the rare prosecutors who instinctively understood and whole-heartedly believes that the job of a prosecutor is to do justice, not to convict.

Strickland cares about who gets on the Supreme Court. As a Senator he will vote against right-wing judicial activists. He considers Attorney General John Ashcroft "an enemy." Last night he said that when he got the telephone call from Robert Mueller (former Acting Attorney General and U.S. Attorney in California and current F.B.I. Director) telling him he was fired, Mueller told him that he had been instructed to make the call to Strickland first.

We don't agree on every issue. For example, he supports the Victims' Rights Amendment and we oppose it. But we agree with him on the fundamentals, and we know he will use his power in the Senate to restrain and oppose Ashcroft in his relentless assault on the Constitution.

Strickland is highly critical of Bush's foreign policy. He thinks he has politicized the Iraq issue to validate his father. He thinks Saddam is a threat, but he doesn't favor attacking Iraq now as the way to eliminate him--not until we've exhausted every other reasonable means. He thinks we should be helping to re-build Afganistan and similar countries. By attacking the poverty, despair and hopelessness that is the daily existence of people in these countries, we can reduce the number of those drawn to terrorism and those most susceptible to being converted by the terrorists.

If you can, go here and give him some money. If you care about the next twenty years of Supreme Court decisions, which will be affected by upcoming retirements of at least two and maybe more Justices within the next few years, we need to control the balance in the Senate. Strickland is a godsend on that issue alone.

If you give to one race this year, even if it's $25, give to Strickland.

Lawyers in Illiniois say Attorney General Jim Ryan, the Republican candidate vying to replace outgoing Illinois Governor George Ryan, is not worthy of the job. The announcement came at a press conference of the Chicago Bar Association. (via Buzzflash).

"Best-selling novelist Scott Turow and the other big legal guns who helped exonerate three men convicted of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico's murder argued Tuesday that Republican Attorney General Jim Ryan's role in the botched death penalty case shows he lacks the character to be governor."

"Calling themselves a group of Democrats, Republicans and independents, the lawyers stopped short of endorsing Ryan's Democratic rival, Rod Blagojevich, but called on voters not to vote for Ryan in the Nov. 5 election."

"Anyone who carefully examines the record in this prosecution must conclude--must conclude--that Jim Ryan wholly lacks the capacity to run a public office with integrity," Turow said."

"As DuPage County state's attorney, Ryan prosecuted Rolando Cruz, Alejandro Hernandez and Stephen Buckley for the 1983 kidnap, rape and murder of Jeanine from her home near Naperville. When the state Supreme Court overturned the case in 1988, Ryan pushed to retry the men despite mounting evidence that another man, sex offender Brian Dugan, committed the crime. All three were eventually exonerated, Cruz after spending more than a decade on Death Row."

We've written about Jim Ryan and the Orlando Cruz case several times, for example here , as has Daily Kos here.

There will be no charges brought in the matter of the taping of a Republican strategy session of Rep. Greg Ganske by Des Moines businessman Brian Conley. Conley gave the tape to Harkin's re-election campaign, and the campaign released it to the media.

"State and federal prosecutors announced Monday they have dropped their investigation into the surreptitious taping of a campaign strategy session held by Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa, after determining that no laws were violated."

The district attorney said since Conley was invited to the event, it was not illegal for him to record it.

Daily Kos has some great insight into the Governor's race in Florida--See Reno pushing so hard for McBride,

"If McBride pulls off a victory at the end of the day, I predict the genesis will be traced to the Democratic primary campaign -- three opponents who refused to go negative on each other, and who are now working together in pursuit of this election cycle's ultimate prize -- Jeb's head on a platter."

Reno's classy support is great politics-- not to mention that the state of Florida will benefit far more with McBride at the helm than Jeb Bush.

Reuters tonight says the Senate is up for grabs one month before the election.

At least eight races are too close to call. The Democrats now control the Senate by one vote. "Three seats held by Democrats -- South Dakota, Minnesota and Missouri -- and four seats held by Republicans -- New Hampshire, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas -- are within the margin of error in recent polls. "

As to New Jersey, a new Democratic poll shows former Senator Lautenberg 11 points ahead of Republican businessman Forrester. The spin being put out by the Republicans is that the ballot switch will antagonize voters. Not so, says the Washington Post.

"A full day of interviews in New Jersey's three main demographic subdivisions -- suburbs, cities and white ethnic enclaves -- indicated that other than Republicans, most voters have moved past the furor still raging nationally about Torricelli's 11th-hour withdrawal. A number of Democrats and independents who said they would have voted against Torricelli on ethical grounds said they now will vote for Lautenberg. Asked why the switch doesn't trouble them, they invariably mentioned political scandals in both parties and widespread evidence of corporate fraud."

"What's more scandalous than Bush in Florida?" asked one of those interviewed.