For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker http://www.cnn.com/ticker. All politics, all the time.

Making News Today…

Ohio GOP Congressman to retire

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Nine-term Rep. Dave Hobson announced Sunday he would not seek reelection, making him the 12th House Republican and third from Ohio to choose retirement over running for another term in 2008.

Hobson’s decision to leave Congress comes as Republican leaders are trying to regain control of the House, which they lost in the 2006 mid-term elections.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole said he expects the GOP to retain Hobson’s seat, which is located in the central-western part of the state just south of Columbus.

“Ohio’s 7th Congressional District is a strong Republican seat that will continue to elect candidates that fight to keep taxes low, the economy strong and the nation secure,” Cole said in a statement released last night. “We will be working with local activists and party leaders to send a candidate that fights for those same values back to Congress in 2008.”

- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

***

Obama: Religion should play role in climate change

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said Sunday that the separation of church and state should not force the people of the United States to "leave [their] religion at the door before entering the public square" and that, indirectly, faith informs politics.

"Our faith informs our values, and I think we'd all agree that our values inform our politics more than they have over the last six years," the Illinois senator said at an interfaith forum in downtown Des Moines.

Obama said that too often religious leaders use faith to "exploit what divides us" by saying that the only issues that matter are abortion, gay marriage, school prayer, and intelligent design.   Full Story

- CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch

***

Romney and Clinton on top in New Hampshire

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A new Marist poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton leading in New Hampshire, less than three months before Granite Staters cast their presidential primary votes.

Clinton holds a double digit lead over her closest rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, in the battle for the Democratic nomination. Romney is separated by four percentage points from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in the contest for the Republican nomination.

Full poll results

New Hampshire has not yet set a date for its primary, but Secretary of State William Gardner has indicated it will be held no later than January 8. The filing period for the New Hampshire primary begins Monday at 8 a.m. ET, and closes on November 2 at 5 p.m. ET. The filing fee is $1,000.

- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

***

Political TV advertising to reach $3 billion

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A wide open presidential race and the willingness by special interest groups, unions and corporations to open up their wallets to buy TV time will lead to historic spending for political and issue advertising in the 2008 election cycle, a new analysis shows.

Later in the morning, visit CNN’s political portal for more details

- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

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

Compiled by Lindsey Pope
CNN Washington Bureau

SEIU IN IOWA BACKS EDWARDS: Democrat John Edwards has received the endorsement of the Iowa State Council of the Service Employees International Union, and announcements of support from other state councils were promised to follow Monday, a campaign official said. AP via New York Times: Edwards Gets Endorsement From Iowa Union

EDWARDS ATTACKS CLINTON ON IRAN VOTE: John Edwards has spent two weeks questioning Senator Clinton's judgment in voting to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Yesterday, he questioned her sincerity. NY Sun: Edwards Questions Clinton's Sincerity on Iran Vote

THOMPSON CANCELS NH STOP: Mitt Romney was in Michigan, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada and then went back to Michigan. Rudy Giuliani visited Florida, Michigan, South Carolina, Alabama, Washington and New Hampshire. John McCain went from Michigan to Iowa to New Hampshire. But where was Fred, as in Fred Thompson? Quad City Times: Thompson's Absence Noticed in NH 

MUMS THE WORD FROM FRED'S COMPETITION: For weeks, Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson was pilloried for offering vague aphorisms. So, when he unveiled a Social Security plan last week that would significantly cut benefits, pundits expressed shock at such a politically risky proposal. The other candidates, meanwhile, said next to nothing. Boston Globe: Silence Greets Thompson's Plan on Social Security

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS THROW SUPPORT TO MCCAIN, EDWARDS: Democrat John Edwards and Republican John McCain picked up separate endorsements Sunday from two national environmental groups that highlighted their commitment to ending global warming. Quad City Times: Edwards, McCain Win Enviro Endorsements

GIULIANI'S NEW YORK: New York was, in the telling of Rudolph W. Giuliani, a haven of high taxes and high crime, crumbling buildings and filthy streets. New York Times: Giuliani Sells New York As Town He Tamed

GIULIANI READY FOR ATTACK FROM ABOVE: Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani yesterday said preparedness will be key for all crises, even an attack from outer space. New Hampshire Union-Leader: Giuliani: Preparedness is Key (Even if Aliens Attack)

EVANGELICALS LOOK PAST HUCKABEE: Social conservatives can stop looking for their perfect presidential candidate. There is one Republican who, given his credentials, would appear the likeliest to rally evangelicals and others on the Christian right. Politico: Could Huckabee be Mr. Right?

GOP CANDIDATES TO OUTLINE FOREIGN POLICY AT JEWISH COALITION FORUM: As the Republican presidential primary becomes increasingly combative, the four leading candidates will gather tomorrow in Washington to address the Republican Jewish Coalition in a forum that will likely center on national security and Middle East policy. NY Sun: GOP Foreign Policy Statements Due Before Jewish Coalition

WOMEN VITAL TO CLINTON CAMPAIGN: Buoyed by her strong lead among women in polls, Hillary Clinton's advisers are predicting that women will carry her to victory in the Democratic primary and that, if they do, they will turn out to vote for her in historic numbers in the general election next November. Boston Globe: Clinton's Team Says Women Will Carry Win

PAUL STRIKES A CHORD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: There's no mistaking which house on Lake Shore Drive, about 45 minutes northeast of Manchester, is the one full of Paulites - the intensely loyal, almost fanatical supporters of Rep. Ron Paul. Signs are everywhere. Washington Post: The Disciples of Ron Paul, Spreading the Word in NH

PRIMARY "MESS" UNDEMOCRATIC?: NOW THAT the presidential primary system has become undeniably undemocratic, it's time to develop a new process to select candidates for the White House. Both parties should look to the National Basketball Association for inspiration. Boston Globe: Look to the NBA Draft to Fix Primary Mess

FASHION OVER POLITICS?: The 2008 presidential candidates have been talking themselves hoarse about the issues, but there's one thing they don't discuss that might still sway voters: How do they look? USA Today: Style Becomes a Real Issue in '08 Presidential Race

"A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WOULD IGNITE OUR TOURIST INDUSTRY AND SHOW THE COUNTRY, AND THE WORLD, THAT WE'RE OPEN": …two years after being ripped apart by Hurricane Katrina, "the city care forgot" is eager to remind the world that it's back in business by hosting one of the presidential debates next year. Washington Times: Big Easy Aims to Host '08 Debate

"GREEN" POLITICIANS SPRINT FOR THE FINISH IN MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE RACE: In an 11th-hour push before tomorrow's special election, Republican Jim Ogonowski and Democrat Niki Tsongas raced through the Fifth Congressional District during the weekend, while their volunteers phoned thousands of voters and knocked on numerous doors. Boston Globe: Tsongas, Ogonowski Make Last Dash

A CALL TO CUT EXECUTIVE POWERS FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT: President Bush's drive to expand executive power over surveillance, detention, interrogation and the meaning of new laws has drawn largely ineffectual protests from Congress. But a group of liberals and a handful of prominent conservatives are pressing would-be successors to renounce those powers before they take office. San Francisco Chronicle: Groups on Left, Right Ask Candidates to Reject Bush's Wider Powers

WHITE HOUSE VACANCIES: For now, the most powerful law enforcement official in the federal government is a 47-year-old lawyer little known outside Washington. Or inside Washington, for that matter. New York Times: White House is Leaning on Interim Appointments

LAURA BUSH SPEAKING OUT: This Saturday, a military jet with the code name “Bright Star” will take off from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, bound for a diplomatic mission in the Middle East. It will carry an increasingly outspoken and quietly powerful White House emissary: Laura Bush, the first lady of the United States. New York Times: First Lady Raising Her Profile

SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNS GUN BILL: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the nation's first law requiring semiautomatic pistols sold in the state to leave a unique imprint on bullets that are fired, giving police another way to try to link shootings to the criminals who carry them out. San Francisco Chronicle: Gov. Signs Bills to Track Bullets, Bans Toxic Toys

CRAIG TO APPEAL BATHROOM SEX STING PLEA: Sen. Larry Craig says he will file an appeal Monday over a judge's refusal to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea stemming from his arrest in an airport bathroom sex sting. In an interview Sunday with KTVB-TV, Craig repeated he will not resign his post in the Senate and said he will continue to work his legal options. AP via USA Today: Sen, Craig to Appeal Ruling on His Plea

SENATE REPUBLICANS "STUCK" WITH CRAIG: Sen. Larry Craig this week will return to the U.S. Senate to face almost universal disdain by his fellow GOP lawmakers about his decision not to give up his seat after pleading guilty to a charge related to lewd conduct in a men’s room. DC Examiner: Senate Republicans in Defensive Crouch Over Larry Craig

IN MIDST OF CONGRESS' GRIDLOCK, STATES TAKE ON IMMIGRATION BATTLE: In New York, state officials are about to offer driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and already have extended limited medical coverage to those battling cancer. In Illinois, the state legislature just passed a law forbidding businesses there from using a federal database to check the legal status of employees. Washington Post: States’ Immigration Policies Diverge

CONGRESS TAKES A BREAK FROM SCHIP TO TACKLE SURVEILLANCE: House and Senate Republicans are preparing for a fight this week over what rules should apply to the government’s wiretapping and surveillance programs, happily accepting the decision by House Democrats to shift some public attention, at least temporarily, away from the children’s health insurance debate. Roll Call: GOP Is Eager For FISA Fight

EARMRAKS FUNNELED INTO UNIVERSITIES LAWMAKERS ATTENDED: Senators have earmarked more than $40 million for health care projects at college and university systems they attended — more than one-fifth of all money being sought through a special federal program to help the country's uninsured, records show. Washington Times: Pork is Healthy at Alma Maters

WOMEN HOLD MORE POWERFUL ROLES IN GOVERNMENT: The ratio of female to male Members still lags behind population figures, but the rise of top female staffers on Capitol Hill is encouraging, according to the Women’s Campaign Forum. Roll Call: Women Taking Charge in Capitol ===============================================================
On the Trail:

Compiled by Lauren Kornreich
CNN Washington Bureau

* Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, attends the 7th Annual Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Luncheon honoring women's rights activist Ellen Malcolm in New York City.

* Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson delivers a speech at the New York Conservative Party Dinner in New York City.

* Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards discusses his health care plan in Iowa City, Iowa.

* Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, holds a "Countdown to Change" fundraiser in Madison, Wisconsin.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson attends a New Mexico Women for Richardson Inaugural Event at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook