CNN Political Ticker

Compiled by Lindsey Pope, Mark Preston and Lauren Kornreich
CNN Washington Bureau

Making News Today…

* All eight Democratic presidential candidates head to New Hampshire tonight for the third Democratic National Committee sanctioned debate of the 2008 primary season. With less than four months before the first votes are cast for president, the pressure is on all the other candidates to try and gain ground on Sen. Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. A new CNN/WMUR Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire, released Tuesday afternoon, shows Clinton holding a solid lead in the Granite State.   Full Story

* Hours before the Democratic candidates take the stage at Dartmouth College in Hanover, CNN and WMUR will release a New Hampshire poll assessing the Republican field.

* Meanwhile, as foreign leaders converge on the Big Apple for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani holds a private meeting with Iraq President Jalal Talabani.

* Also in New York City, former President Bill Clinton hosts the third annual Clinton Global Initiative – a summit that will be attended by thousands of foreign leaders in politics, health and business. At the meeting, they will discuss education, energy and climate change, global health, and poverty alleviation around the world. Former Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to attend the summit.

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Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

UAW ENDS STRIKE WITH GM: Negotiators from the United Auto Workers union and General Motors reached a tentative agreement on a deal early Wednesday to end a two day old strike by 73,000 workers, according to the union and the company. CNN.com: GM-UAW Reach Deal to End Strike

"THIS IS GOING TO HURT US BADLY. IT MAY BE WORSE THAN ABU GHRAIB, AND IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE AN IMPACT FOR THE LONG TERM": A confrontation between the U.S. military and the State Department is unfolding over the involvement of Blackwater USA in the shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad square Sept. 16, bringing to the surface long-simmering tensions between the military and private security companies in Iraq, according to U.S. military and government officials. Washington Post: Private Security Puts Diplomats, Military at Odds

WAXMAN SAYS RICE NOT COOPERATING WITH BLACKWATER INVESTIGATION: An ongoing battle between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a House committee investigating Iraqi government corruption and the activities of the Blackwater security firm erupted into another skirmish yesterday as Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) accused Rice of interfering with the committee's work and preventing administration and Blackwater officials from providing pertinent information. Washington Post: House Panel Says Rice Is Hindering Its Work

CONDI: "WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY ... 'IF YOU KILL ONE OF THEM, THEY'LL JUST REPLACE HIM WITH ANOTHER LEADER,' REMEMBER THAT THAT'S LIKE SAYING, 'IF YOU TAKE OUT ROBERT E. LEE OR ULYSSES S. GRANT, WELL, THEY'LL JUST REPLACE THEM WITH ANOTHER LEADER": Gen. Ulysses Grant may be rolling in his tomb after Secretary of State Rice compared slain terror chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to the Civil War hero – and his Confederate counterpart Robert E. Lee. Ny Daily News: Condi Rice Whistles "Dixie" With Qaeda Analogy

“THE TERRORIST GROUPS ARE JUST TRYING TO SAY TO THE WORLD THAT THE [PETRAEUS CROCKER]REPORT DID NOT REFLECT THE REALITY OF THE SECURITY SITUATION IN IRAQ”: Sunni Arab extremists have begun a systematic campaign to assassinate police chiefs, police officers, other Interior Ministry officials and tribal leaders throughout Iraq, staging at least 10 attacks in 48 hours. New York Times: Sunni Insurgents in New Campaign to Kill Officials

FBI TO MODEL COUNTERTERRORISM AFTER BRITAIN'S MI5: The FBI has begun the most comprehensive realignments of its counterterrorism division in six years so it can better detect the growing global collaborations by terrorists and dismantle larger terrorist enterprises, according to senior bureau officials. Washington Post: FBI Reorganizes Effort to Uncover Terror Groups’ Global Ties

BUSH PRONUNCIATION AID MISTAKENLY RELEASED BY WHITE HOUSE: George Bush gave a rare insight into his struggle with pronunciation yesterday when the White House mistakenly released an unedited script of his speech to the UN General Assembly. The Times of London: Mix-Up Reveals What President Bush Must Do When Words Fail Him

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE PUSHED ASSIDE BY "PING-PONGING": The Congressional conference committee, vaguely familiar to generations of Americans from their battered civics texts, is in danger of losing its prominent role in how a bill becomes law. New York Times: In Conference: Process Undone by Partisanship

GOP SENATOR BATTLES "DOUBLE BOOKING" BAN: The Senate Rules and Administration Committee is discussing ways to clarify a provision in the new ethics law that has effectively blocked Senators from booking seats on multiple flights home at one time, and at least one key GOP Senator says he is considering a legislative remedy for the massive travel headache. Roll Call: Senate Looks to Fix Travel Rule

TOWNS WITH NEW, STRICTER IMMIGRATION LAWS FEEL THE ECONOMIC PINCH: A little more than a year ago, the Township Committee in this faded factory town became the first municipality in New Jersey to enact legislation penalizing anyone who employed or rented to an illegal immigrant. Within months, hundreds, if not thousands, of recent immigrants from Brazil and other Latin American countries had fled. New York Times: Towns Rethink Laws Against Illegal Immigrants

BYRD GETS GENTLE JABS AT PORTRAIT CEREMONY: Only a guy like Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) gets the distinction of calling Old Bulls like Sens. John Warner (R-Va.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) “young man.” Roll Call's Heard on the Hill: Byrd Gets Framed

MOVEON PAYS FULL PRICE FOR AD: MoveOn.org said yesterday that it paid The New York Times $77,508 after the newspaper revealed that its advertising department had undercharged the organization for an advertisement that ran two weeks ago and proved controversial. New York Times: MoveOn Pays The Times $77,508 for Ad Cost 

RELATIONS BETWEEN BOEHNER, NRCC BETTER, BUT STILL STRAINED: House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) used a closed-door meeting Tuesday to assure colleagues that the leadership is on the same page, despite recent internal tensions over the party’s 2008 campaign strategy and political operation. Roll Call: Leaders Seek to Mend NRCC Rift

CANDIDATES TO SPEND RECORD AMOUNTS ON POLITICAL ADS: Presidential candidates, the political parties and interest groups will spend at least twice as much as they did in 2003-04 on TV ads before nominees are chosen, campaign advertising experts say. USA Today: Political Ads Likely to Run Up $100 Million Tab

SHAHEEN TAKES CAMPAIGN TO THE STREETS FRIDAY: Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen will make the first campaign appearance of her U.S. Senate race today and another on Friday night. New Hampshire Union-Leader: Shaheen Hits Campaign trail

RANGEL SAYS MURAL OF HIM WOULD SEND A "STRONG MESSAGE": Rep. Charles Rangel of Harlem may have to settle for a pricey portrait to mark his tenure as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, but he disclosed yesterday that he would have chosen a much bigger rendition of himself if he had his way. NY Sun: Forget a Portrait: Rangel Eyes a Mural

NELSON TO TAKE FL PRIMARY BATTLE TO COURT: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) upped the ante in the battle over the Democratic presidential primary calendar on Tuesday, saying he is moving forward with legal action against his party to fight for the state’s right to hold a binding Jan. 29 primary. The Hill: Nelson Set to Sue DNC Over Florida’s Primary

DODD AT ODDS OVER CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is facing a fight with corporate executives who have donated millions of dollars to his presidential campaign. The Hill: Contributors, Hopes for '08, Pull at Dodd

CANDIDATES COURTED BY HRC BENEFITED FROM HSU CASH: Disgraced fund-raiser Norman Hsu did a lot more than just pump $850,000 into Hillary Clinton's campaign bank account: He also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local, state, and federal candidates who have endorsed Clinton or whose support she courted. Boston Globe: Hsu Raised Big Bucks for Clinton Supporters

BILL'S BUSINESS DEALINGS COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR HILLARY'S '08 RUN: For the past six years, the road to Bill Clinton has often run through Douglas Band, a 34-year-old former White House intern who has helped manage Mr. Clinton's time, accompanied him around the world and even fielded some of his calls. WSJ: How Bill Clinton’s Aide Facilitated A Messy Deal

HILLARY MAY HAVE TO BE ON THE DEFENSIVE IN THE GRANITE STATE: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) may be the envy of the 2008 Democratic presidential field when it comes to the polls, but at Wednesday’s debate in New Hampshire she likely will receive some of the less-welcome attention that comes with her status as the favorite. The Hill: Sen. Clinton in Crosshairs

ANTI-HILLARY GROUPS GROW ON FACEBOOK: As the new school year gets fully under way and presidential hopefuls work the young voter circuit via social networking websites, one online group — Facebook’s “Stop Hillary Clinton (One Million Strong AGAINST Hillary)” — is seriously outpacing its pro-candidate rivals in attracting new members. Politico: Anti-Hillary Facebook Site Tops Obama

NEW POLL DESCRIBES "SOBERING PICTURE" FOR DEMS: Rudy Giuliani, the Republican presidential candidate, would win in more than 30 marginal districts currently held by Democrats, a new poll says. The Daily Telegraph: Hillary Clinton "Could Cost Democrats Dear"

"WE HOPE TO BRING SOME FRESH AIR (TO THE CAMPAIGN)": Without a President or vice president to dominate the presidential nominating contest, a well-known Washington think tank hopes to foster substantive discussions on the significant issues facing the country, such as health care, energy, Iraq and tax policy. New Hampshire Union-Leader: Brookings Institute Sponsors Issues Forums; First One at St. A

BLACK VOTERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA TORN BETWEEN CLINTON, OBAMA: The packed late morning service had just concluded at Bible Way Church of Atlas Road, one of the largest black churches in South Carolina. As congregants streamed out of the vast air-conditioned sanctuary, a handful of women stopped to chat about an issue that is tearing them up: the Democratic presidential primary. LA Times: The Courtship if Black Voters in South Carolina

THE DELICATE FRIENDSHIP OF JESSE JACKSON AND BARACK OBAMA: Of all political marriages of convenience, the union of Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a fellow Chicagoan, is among the most freighted. The two men need each other's support, yet also need to keep their distance. Boston Globe: Allies' Approaches Differ on Race Issue 

IS BARACK THE "TRANSFORMATIVE" POLITICIAN HE SAYS HE IS?: Last week, I saw Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama give two speeches. The first was enthralling, the second disappointing. Washington Post: The Two Obamas

BIDEN, DODD CRITICAL OF RICHARDSON IRAQ PROMISE: Perhaps Bill Richardson is making some of the other Democratic candidates for president nervous. Chicago Tribune's The Swamp: Rivals Add Heat, Accuse Richardson of Fuzzy Math

SERVICE UNION DELAYS ENDORSEMENT: A politically potent union has decided not to take sides in the Democratic presidential battle, at least for now, even though many of its leaders support John Edwards’s presidential bid. New York Times: Union Declines Endorsement

RUDY GAINS KEY ALLY IN CALIFORNIA: Rudy Giuliani expects a plum endorsement this week from one of California's leading Republicans, former Gov. Pete Wilson. LA Times: Pete Wilson to Endorse Giuliani

OPINION: GIULIANI'S UNUSUAL CELL PHONE CALL: Most Americans understand it takes an extra chromosome to run for President, but there are some limits on odd behavior. Opinion Journal: Calling Rudy, For Mr. Giuliani Its' More Than His Wife That's On the Line

RON PAUL OPENS OFFICE IN IOWA: The campaign for Republican Ron Paul is working to translate his Internet support into organizational strength in Iowa. Quad City Times: Paul Gearing Up Iowa Organization

GOP CANDIDATES SPEAK OUT AGAINST TEHRAN: Fred Thompson yesterday called for the U.S. to use its influence to stop World Bank funding to Iran, becoming the latest 2008 Republican presidential candidate to address what may be the next president's major foreign-policy challenge. Washington Times: GOP Candidates Use Iran to Show Foreign Policy ===========================================================
On the Political Radar:

* All eight Democratic presidential candidates head to New Hampshire tonight for the third Democratic National Committee sanctioned debate of the 2008 primary season. The debate takes place at 9 p.m. ET and will be held at Dartmouth College.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hosts an "Ask Mitt Anything" town hall meeting at the Daugherty Sky Harbor in Long Beach, California.

* Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani meets with Iraq President Jalal Talabani at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. In the afternoon, he heads to New Jersey to deliver a speech to the Somerset County Republican Organization in Bridgewater and attend a house party in Watchtung.

* Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, attends a pre-debate kickoff at his Upper Valley Regional Field Office in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. He goes to the debate site in the afternoon to meet with potential voters.

* Former President Bill Clinton hosts the third annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting with thousands of political, health and business leaders in New York City.

* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook