Investors hoping to recoup some of the millions secretly funneled to executives through pensions and other goodies were heartened by yesterday's court ruling ordering former New York Stock Exchange chief Richard Grasso to return as much as $100 million of his $185 million pay and retirement package.
If you go by the political betting markets—not to mention those devastating polls—the GOP has about the same chance (30 percent or so) of keeping House of Representatives under Republican control as the United States does of catching Osama bin Laden or of bombing Iran by the end of next year. (But it has twice as good a chance as Joey Lawrence does of winning Dancing With the Stars, natch!) Yet there goes White House political adviser Karl Rove this week predicting the GOP will hold both the House and the Senate. (A veteran Washington watcher and money guy snarked to me, "I wonder if this is the same version of Rove that predicted an easy victory for Bush in 2000 and had him taking a victory lap in California.")
AP - A senior U.S. diplomat said the United States had shown "arrogance" and "stupidity" in Iraq but was now ready to talk with any group except Al-Qaida in Iraq to facilitate national reconciliation.
AP - Democrats hold solid leads for four of the six Republican seats they need to capture the Senate and about 10 of 15 required to win the House, according to officials in both parties. Numerous additional races remain highly competitive.
AP - Five bicycle bombs and a hail of mortar shells ripped apart a market south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing 18 people in yet another sign that Iraq's government and U.S. forces were struggling to contain sectarian violence. Three U.S. Marines also were killed, making October the deadliest month for American forces this year.
Attacks on a crowded market in Mahmoudiya, Iraq, today, killed at least 11 people, the U.S. military said. Attacks elsewhere killed more civilians and three U.S. Marines. The violence came on the day President Bush discussed the war with his top commanders.