Morning Post: Leaves and Polls dropping edition

Morning. Those of you in Chapel Hill remember: Your leaf-blowing hours are from 9 to 5.
Meanwhile,
Nat’l/Int’l
• The parties lawyer up
• Media Matters on the Gang of 500 (sheep) and the Kerry thing
• Gaza
State
• Voters pissed
• Immigration arrests in Asheville
• Reynolds drops a fortune on defeating ballot initiatives
Also, via Al Kamen:

This e-mail arrived Wednesday from Miles Swanson regarding an item about Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff ‘s selection as recipient of the Henry E. Petersen Award, usually given to a career member of the Justice Department’s criminal division for his longtime achievements and contributions.

“My grandfather was Henry Petersen,” Swanson writes. “I was horrified when I spoke to my mother this morning” and learned that Chertoff will be getting the award.

“I am an attorney working in the disaster area that is post-Katrina New Orleans,” Swanson wrote. “I staff a free legal clinic in the 9th Ward. . . . As you can imagine, I am at a loss for words because every day I have to deal with the effects of his ‘leadership.’ Thank you.”