Politics

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Illustration: Ronald Reagan

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A Pakistani army soldier takes position on a hilltop post in Khajore Kut, an area in South Waziristan. A Pakistani offensive appears to have cleared much of the rugged region of militants, though many have simply fled to other parts of the semiautonomous tribal belt. (Associated Press)

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Pakistani troops leave for patrol at their camp in Wana, the main town of the South Waziristan tribal region along the Afghan border. Pakistan's army has waged a major ground offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan. (Associated Press)

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CREDIT Ex-President Bill Clinton gets a rousing welcome at a campaign event for Jerry Brown in Los Angeles, where he drew 6,000 people. His staff says he has campaigned for more than 65 candidates at nearly 100 events.

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai says Monday that he is "grateful" for financial support from Iran, used to maintain the presidential office, and that "this is nothing hidden." (Associated Press)

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, would become the longest-serving governor in the nation next year if he wins a full third term next week. He has served in the office since December 2000.

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Associated Press photographs Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White (center) greets supporters Saturday at Los Generales Restaurant in Laredo, Texas, before joining them on a walk throughout Laredo's west side.

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President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to sign the pension reform measure into law this week. Polls show Mr. Sarkozy's approval rating had dropped below 30 percent for the first time. (Associated Press)

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Railway workers vote to renew the strike at the Bordeaux train station in southwestern France on Friday. Mr. Sarkozy ordered regional authorities to intervene and force open depots. (Associated Press)

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** FILE ** Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner listens to questions at a press conference during a meeting of the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

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FILE -- In a March 26, 2009 file photo singer Sara Bareilles arrives for the concert event "One Splendid Evening," onboard the cruise ship Carnival Splendor in Los Angeles. Bareilles will open for President Barack Obama at a Las Vegas rally designed to rouse Democratic voters before the midterm elections Friday Oct. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello/file)

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Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and co-star actress Priyanka Chopra, right, pose during a photo call in Berlin, Germany, on Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Shah Rukh Khan is working on his new action movie "Don-2" in Berlin, where some of the scenes are shot. (AP Photo/Kai-Uwe Knoth)

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CHOOSING CHAIRMEN: Minority Leader John A. Boehner leads the House Steering Committee. (Associated Press)

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown leads Republican Meg Whitman by 8 points, according to a new poll. Mr. Brown got 44 percent of likely voters to 36 percent for Ms. Whitman, with 16 percent undecided and 4 percent for other candidates.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS President Obama delivers a stump speech for Oregon Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber on Wednesday in Portland, Ore. On Thursday, he talked about special interests in Columbus, Ohio. "They're running misleading, negative ads all across the country. They don't have the courage, they don't have the gumption to stand up and disclose their identity" he said.

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Provided by Hurt for U.S. Congress ANGER: Republican Robert Hurt, a Virginia state senator running for the 5th District U.S. House seat, has struck a chord in riled-up voters with his campaign poster.

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PROVIDED BY HURT FOR U.S. CONGRESS Reports on the Internet suggest that Republican Robert Hurt is far ahead of his opponent, incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat, in the effort to cover the 5th Congressional District of Virginia with their signs as the U.S. House campaign comes to a close after next week.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS President Obama headlines a rally for Sen. Patty Murray at the University of Washington in Seattle during a four-day, five state campaign swing focusing on tight races in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest.

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Qiyamuddin Kashaaf, a spokesman for the High Peace Council, discusses the peace process in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday. The Afghan government's newly formed peace council wants Saudi Arabia to play a key role in efforts to reconcile with the Taliban and find a political resolution to the war, Mr. Kashaaf said. (Associated Press)