All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

CBS News National Security Analyst Juan Zarate said on "Washington Unplugged" Friday that trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees in U.S. civilian courts was "an important decision, and appropriate."

"I think these are defendants that can be prosecuted, will be prosecuted," he said, adding: "This is a good set of defendants to put into the criminal legal system."

Host Bob Schieffer noted that the decision is already drawing strong criticism from people like New York Republican Rep. Peter King, who says the decision to hold the trial in New York City makes it a terrorist target.

"Well, I think security is always an issue with these cases," said Zarate. "But I think New York has handled big time cases before, dating back to the '93 World Trade Center case, and I think they know how to handle it."

"New York's at the top of the list for Al-Qaeda anyway, so I'm not sure that this necessarily ups the ante that much," he added.

Watch the entire conversation above. Also on Friday's show are interviews with Maggie Mahar, author of "Money Driven Medicine," and Claire Danes, Zac Efron and Richard Linklater of the film "Me and Orson Wells."

"Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.

"The race for New York's 23rd District is not over, just postponed until 2010," according to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate enthusiastically endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the special election. Hoffman managed to push the Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava out of the race days before the election, but the Democrat prevailed Tuesday night.

The loss, coupled with two big gubernatorial wins for more moderate Republicans in New Jersey and Virginia, raises questions about whether high-profile conservatives like Palin should continue to push the party to the right.

"After the Republicans come off their Cloud Nine, they have a major issue to resolve within their own party: in what direction is the GOP going?" asks CBS News' Political Director Steve Chaggaris.

On her Facebook page early Wednesday morning, Palin suggested the Republican Party should continue to pursue a more conservative identity.

"I commend Doug Hoffman and all the other under-dog candidates who have the courage to put themselves out there and run against the odds," she wrote. "To the tireless grassroots patriots who worked so hard in that race and to future citizen-candidates like Doug, please remember Reagan's words of encouragement after his defeat in 1976: 'The cause goes on.'"

Palin's comments echo those of Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele.

"Now the bottom line is this, the drama of 23 was nice and cute and fun, [and] everybody made fun about how the party's all fractured," Steele said on the CBS Early Show. "The reality is now that we have a chance to get the seat back in about a year, which we likely will."

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After a surprisingly narrow, 5-point loss to mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Democrats are wondering: With a little more effort from certain quarters, might Comptroller William Thompson actually have been able to take down the wealthy incumbent?

That prospect was unthinkable for much of the campaign, as most polls had Thompson trailing Bloomberg by double digits. The mayor, an independent running on the Republican line, outspent his rival by a 14 to one spending margin, according to the New York Times. Preliminary figures suggest the cost of each vote ended up being about $157 for Bloomberg, and only $13 for Thompson.

"A lot of Democratic donors who sat on their wallets are kicking themselves tonight," Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-Brooklyn, tells the New York Daily News. The clear implication: Had those donors not opted-out of the race based on the belief that it was unwinnable, Thompson might just have become mayor.

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Updated 8:51 a.m. ET, Nov. 4, 2009

Here's a summary of the winners and losers from the key races decided on Election Day 2009:

Virginia Governor: Bob McDonnell (R) defeats Creigh Deeds (D)

New Jersey Governor: Chris Christie (R) defeats Incumbent Jon Corzine (D)

New York Congressional District 23: Bill Owens (D) defeats Doug Hoffman (C)

California Congressional District 10: John Garamendi (D) defeats David Harmer (R)

Maine Referendum: Gay Marriage Law Repealed

Maine Referendum: Expands Medical Marijuana Law

Breckenridge, Colo., Referendum: Legalizes Marijuana Possession

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New York Governor David Paterson, who stepped into his job following the resignation of Eliot Spitzer, will "reassess" his plan to run for governor next year if his poll numbers don't improve by January, sources tell the New York Daily News.

"He's in it, he's planning to put the team together, but he's said if his numbers don't improve by the beginning of the year, he would have to reassess his campaign," one Democratic source told the newspaper.

Paterson is also reportedly worried about how his fundraising numbers will stack up against those of popular New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who many political observers expect to run.

Among those who would be happy with a reassessment by Paterson, who has said he is fully planning a run, is the Obama administration, which has pressured the governor to pull out of the race.

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Fred Thompson, the former senator and candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, is upping the ante in the inner Republican party battle over the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district by starring in an ad for Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate.

Thompson, who first endorsed Hoffman last month, has recently been joined by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in endorsing him over the Republican Party nominee, Republican State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava. The election, which happens a week from today, is being held up as a case study of the current conflict within the Republican party.

"Big government, high taxes, deficits, broken promises -- America is in trouble," Thompson says in the ad. "So when your grandchildren ask you why you didn't do something, be able to tell them that you voted for Doug Hoffman."

Local Republican representatives chose to back Scozzafava for her political experience and commitment to family values, even though she goes against the party on some social issues like abortion. Conservative activists, however, are getting behind Doug Hoffman. The split among conservatives has left their Democratic opponent, Bill Owens, in the lead in the most recent non-partisan poll of the race.

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Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

** More campaigning on Obama's agenda...

** Does Reid have the votes to pass a public option?...

** Waiting for a decision on Afghanistan...

PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY: President Obama starts his second day in a row in Florida with a tour of a solar energy plant in Arcadia followed by an announcement of "Recovery Act funding for a variety of Smart Grid technologies that will modernize the nation's electricity grid, enhance reliability, promote efficiency and allow for the integration of clean, renewable energy — all while helping consumers save money," per the White House. Today's event comes a day after fund-raising for Democrats in the Sunshine State, as Mr. Obama looks ahead to next year's competitive Senate and gubernatorial contests.

The St. Petersburg Times' Adam C. Smith and Alex Leary point out the political climate that's greeting the president in Florida is much harsher than it was during his last visit.

"Last time President Barack Obama visited America's biggest battleground state, our unemployment rate was nearly two points lower and his approval rating in Florida nearly 20 points higher. It was February, and he was in Fort Myers touting the $787 billion stimulus package. Today as he visits a new solar energy plant southeast of Tampa, the political climate is a lot chillier.

"Unemployment has risen, anxious seniors have spent months fretting about the health care debate and independent voters have increasingly soured on the president. It could all add up to problems for Democrats in the midterm elections…

"With almost every statewide office open in 2010, many Democrats say they are in the strongest position they've been in modern history. The state party is better organized than it's been in decades, Obama's political machine already has a dozen staffers organizing throughout Florida, and the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Alex Sink, is significantly outraising the leading Republican, Bill McCollum.

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Sarah Palin continues her re-emergence.

Thursday night on her Facebook page, she endorsed Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate for the Nov. 3 special election in New York's 23rd congressional district.

"Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race," Palin wrote.

Expect even more chatter about this race being a fight for the future of the GOP; conservative vs. moderate, etc.

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Getting kids back to school with the clothes and supplies they need can strain the family budget. That's why the Governor of New York decided to use federal stimulus funds for a back-to-school program. Needy families got a one-time payment of $200 dollars per child to buy school supplies. It adds up to $140 million of your tax dollars.

Neasey Hendricks, single mother of five, says she's putting the money to good use.

"Definitely sneakers, try to save a little bit for a haircut, a couple of pairs of pants, some shirts, get the girls a few skirts," Hendricks says.

While few argued with the concept of helping low-income families, nobody anticipated the chaos that would come next.

On August 11th, the state of New York deposited the $140 million in stimulus money into the individual food stamp and welfare accounts of people on public assistance. Some saw their balance shoot up by a thousand dollars all at once. The idea was they would use their regular welfare benefits card, which acts like a debit card, to buy the school supplies. There was just one problem. The letter from the state telling them what the money was for didn't arrive until days later. By then, it was too late. See the Letter Sent to Recipients (PDF).

"No one questions the intention of this particular program. However there is an extraordinary distance between the good intention of the program and the implementation of the program," Monroe County's Commissioner of Health Services Kelly Reed said on Wednesday's edition of "Washington Unplugged," which first reported the story. (You can watch the show at left.)

County Executive Maggie Brooks says social workers were flooded with calls from merchants who were afraid fraud was being committed.

"We had different retailers calling us and saying people were coming in with their benefit transaction card, and they are purchasing flat screen TV's, iPods and video gaming systems," Brooks told CBS News. Brooks doesn't blame the recipients - she blames the state for not ensuring the funds were spent for school.

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Republican Rep. Peter King announced today that he will not challenge Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for her seat in 2010.

The Long Island representative said in a prepared statement, the New York Daily News reports, that he could not raise the money to effectively compete against Gillibrand.

"Senator Gillibrand generates neither strong support nor opposition," his statement reportedly said. "This makes it virtually impossible for me to raise the campaign funds I would need to overcome the built-in Democratic registration advantage and the countless millions of dollars which the Democrats will make available to Senator Gillibrand."

King said that a well-financed candidate could beat Gillibrand, who was appointed this year by Gov. David Paterson to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's vacant Senate seat.

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