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It’s day five of the John Edwards trial. We take a step back to contextualize the former North Carolina senator's sex scandal within the storied history of political infidelities. Remember Grover Cleveland's sex scandal? Our guest, historian and TV show host Dr. David Eisenbach, certainly does.  

It’s a tough time to be a moderate Democrat in the halls of Congress. Only 24 so-called blue dog Democrats remain in Congress, and as the November elections near, several of them are looking at tough re-election campaigns. An unpopular president sharing the ticket, major redistricting, and tough conservative opponents may make the blue dog extinct. Robert “Bud” Cramer is a long-time blue dog Democrat. He's formerly the Congressman for Alabama’s 5th Congressional District, and is now the Chairman of Wexler Walker Public Policy Associates.

Democrats have officially nominated U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for re-election, while the state's Conservative Party backed Wendy Long as their candidate to run for the U.S. Senate.

With Texas Governor Rick Perry dropping out of the race and Rick Santorum declaring a belated victory in the Iowa caucuses, Thursday marked a day of big game changers in the GOP presidential contest. With one day left until the South Carolina primary, frontrunner Mitt Romney is slipping in the polls as Gingrich picks up more support, including an endorsement from Perry. As the Republican race gets tighter and attacks become even more brutal, how is President Barack Obama preparing for his campaign for 2012? 

Republicans tout the best ever fundraising during an August in a nonelection year, while Democratic officials say it wasn't such a hot month for them. Bloomberg says he did not violate campaign finance laws in reelection bid. California Democrats say a consultant's Madoff-like scam have wiped out their campaign coffers. Emails show the White House was very interested in the timing of a pending federal loan approval for a solar panel manufacturer, particularly as a scheduled press appearance with the vice president neared. 

Upstate New York and parts of Vermont were struck by rapid flooding brought on by Tropical Storm Irene over the weekend. Due to wind damage and fallen trees, downed power lines remain a problem, as do hundreds of flooded roads. In Vermont, there have already been three confirmed fatalities due to the storm — two were swept into rushing waters and drowned. Fifty-thousand homes and businesses remain without power in what officials are calling Vermont's worst natural disaster since flooding in 1927. A majority of homeowners in Vermont who were affected by the storm lack insurance that covers flood damage.

The Democrats have been been on the offensive since the 2010 midterm when they sustained huge losses to Republicans, ceding 63 seats and the House majority. To return from minority status and retake the House, the Dems need a big surge, something the Democratic Congressional Campaign calls the "Drive to 25."

Perhaps the greatest week of the 112^th Congress will be remembered as the week they didn’t do anything at all.

Even before the mid-term elections decidedly handed the Speaker’s gavel to Rep. John Boehner, people expected that the 112^th Congress would be different. The 111^th had been marked by the energetic, progressive agenda of Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the House, which produced a series of far-reaching legislation over Republican objections. Then, these proposals died in the Senate, which was paralyzed by the threat of a filibuster at every turn. As the Republicans relished their role as “The Party of No,” the Democrats – in a non-obvious strategy – mostly negotiated with themselves, making concessions to their caucus’s conservative colleagues and producing watered-down results that the GOP still didn’t vote for.

The race is on for New York’s 15th Congressional District Democratic Primary, which will take place on Tuesday, September 14. We talk to five candidates:

• Incumbent Congressman Charles Rangel (Rangel for Congress Website)
• Jonathan Tasini (Tasini for Congress Website)
• Joyce Johnson (Johnson for Congress Website)
• Vincent Morgan (Morgan for Congress Website)
• Adam Clayton Powell IV (Powell for Congress Website)