Hotline On Call

The spotlight is The Hotline's (subscriber) take on the day's leading political news:

Dressing up as something you're not, scaring your associates and knocking on doors demanding handouts -- is it just us, or was Halloween made for D.C.? There's plenty for politicians to fear on the spookiest night of the year:

-- The tea party should worry about irrelevance. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., looks strong in his primary, especially given that independents can vote. No one is actually challenging Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, (yet). And Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, appears safe too. Where's the supposedly inevitable organization from the right?

-- Mitt Romney ought to be afraid of Iowa. His advisers are debating engaging in the state, and the prospect of an early-round knockout must be enticing. Don't forget, he dropped millions on a second-place finish in 2008, and his support is weak. But the fact that he's even competitive demonstrates the underground success he's had in keeping his 2008 team together.

-- And Herman Cain should be afraid of his own shadow. Cain has never been the front-runner he's made out to be, given his lack of a real campaign organization. But new revelations about his behavior, and his refusal to answer a question asked four times on the matter, will let the air out of the Cain bubble. He was in Washington today and appearances at AEI and the National Press Club were overshadowed by sexual harassment allegations.

Finally, President Obama should fear trick-or-treaters. The White House is giving away dried fruit this year; that's an invitation for an egging. Happy Halloween.