One Democrat That's Defending Sarah Palin

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Party Pooper

Illinois Democratic governor and Barack Obama supporter Rod Blagojevich is taking his own party to task for belittling Sarah Palin's experience. Blagojevich said on a Chicago radio station Thursday, "Governors every day have to make decisions for better or for worse. That's part of the job. It's an executive position... I think it's a tactical mistake for the Democrats to question Governor Palin's experience when she's been governor of a state."

Blagojevich added that criticizing the size of Governor Palin's electorate is also a mistake. "I don't think the size of the state is relevant. It's the kinds of decisions you have to make as governor," he said.

Game Changer

Analysts often say this is a Democratic year, especially in Congressional races. But John McCain's recent momentum appears to be bleeding over to November's Congressional races.

A new USA Today Gallup survey of registered voters shows Democrats now lead Republicans by just three percentage points — 48 to 45 — in a generic ballot preference for Congress. That number is down from a consistent double-digit Democratic lead over the past year and an 11 point advantage at the beginning of this month.

When likely voters are included, Republicans actually lead Democratic candidates by five percentage points — 50 to 45.

Election Angst

Jitters about the November election and Barack Obama's standing continue to spread among Democrats. The Financial Times newspaper reports Senior Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta says some members of Congress are "a little nervous," adding that, "Republicans have been on the offensive for the past two weeks... you don't win elections on the defensive."

One Democratic fundraiser and former Hillary Clinton supporter says, "There is a growing sense of doom and gloom among Democrats... people are going crazy, telling the campaign 'you've got to do something.'"

Chilling Facts

The nation's oldest continuously published periodical is not only forecasting a cooler winter, but says we can expect a period of global cooling in the coming decades.

The 2009 issue of the Old Farmer's Almanac hits newsstands Tuesday. It says, "Sunspot cycles and their effects on oceans correlate with climate changes. Studying these and other factors suggest that cold, not warm, climate may be our future."

The periodical's editor-in-chief says global cooling trends could affect the earth for the next half century, depending on man's influence. The Almanac, which was established in 1792 and has 18.5 million readers, predicts heavy snow this winter from the Ozarks into Southern New England. It also forecasts snow for parts of Northern Texas.

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.