Shrill political attacks have saturated the airwaves for months, but behind them is the real problem of this demoralizing election: the dark flow of dollars, often secretly provided by donors with very special interests.

The amount is staggering: Nearly $4 billion is likely to be spent once the final figures are in, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, far more than in the 2006 midterms, which cost $2.85 billion. It could even eclipse the $4.14 billion spent in the 2004 presidential campaign.

By FRANK RICH

PRESIDENT Obama, the Rodney Dangerfield of 2010, gets no respect for averting another Great Depression, for saving 3.3 million jobs with stimulus spending, or for salvaging GM and Chrysler from the junkyard. And none of these good deeds, no matter how substantial, will go unpunished if the projected Democratic bloodbath materializes on Election Day. Some are even going unremembered. For Obama, the ultimate indignity is the Times/CBS News poll in September showing that only 8 percent of Americans know that he gave 95 percent of American taxpayers a tax cut.

Democratic candidate Chris Coons, who is vying to defeat Republican rival Christine O'Donnell in Delaware's U.S. Senate race, is out with a new attack ad targeting the conservative hopeful on a host of controversies that have rocked her campaign.

Running with the theme music of the 1960's television show "The Twilight Zone," the 30-second seeks to highlight some of the Tea Party favorite's most infamous lines.

From Robert Fisk...

Mr O'Farrell said he inadvertently saved in his ''favourites'' a link titled ''watch two boys break the record for longest kiss''.

The user, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also posted a picture of a youth with his shirt off titled ''an early teen boy completely and utterly adorable. That body is excellent.''

The Sun-Herald inquired about the graphic content at 11.22am on Friday. By 11.46am, Liberal staff had removed the link from Mr O'Farrell's favourites. The other user's Twitter account has since been removed.

Rupert Murdoch last night cast himself as a champion of Britain's "dispossessed" migrants, prisoners and economic underclass as he criticised standards of education in a speech in honour of Baroness Thatcher.

Giving the inaugural Margaret Thatcher Lecture at a right-wing London think tank, the media mogul said British schools were failing to educate children for the jobs market.

US officials have confirmed they intend to sell $60bn (£38bn) of arms to Saudi Arabia, including helicopters and jets.

The state department said details of the deal had been sent to Congress, which now has 30 days to object.

If completed, it could be the most lucrative single arms deal in US history and could support 75,000 jobs.

The state department said Israel, traditionally wary of arms deals involving Arab states, was not expected to raise objections.

'Strong message'

Former prime minister John Howard has described Peter Costello's efforts to succeed him in the nation's top job as those of a "rank amateur".

But a key Costello supporter has hit back at the claims, saying it was Mr Howard who acted dishonourably.

In his memoir, Lazarus Rising, Mr Howard sheds new light on the bitter leadership struggle between him and his deputy that developed over the Coalition's 11 years in government.

A 20-year study shows worrying results about the decline of krill, a form of plankton, in the Southern Ocean.

Plankton is the basic food source for almost all ocean dwelling creatures and krill is one of its most important forms.

The scientist leading the krill project, Dr Graham Hosie, says he cannot explain the drop in numbers.

But Dr Hosie says he is hoping to get some answers from the latest scientific expedition to Antarctica, which departs from Hobart today.

About 90 scientists and support staff have boarded the research ship Aurora Australis.

Possibly James Packer's raid on the Ten Network has nothing to do with controlling lucrative sports broadcasting rights - possibly he is just a fan of The Simpsons.

Whatever the motivation of the media mogul who renounced mogul-hood only to assume it again in the past couple of days, the body language in Canberra yesterday was fascinating.

Sure-sign No. 1 of inter-planetary Packer activity: Malcolm Turnbull looking nostalgic, almost like he could launch into risque anecdotes at a family wedding.

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey has foreshadowed the Coalition might find the numbers in Parliament to act against banks that raise interest rates above the level recommended by the Reserve Bank.

He has criticised Treasurer Wayne Swan for not being effective in preventing the banks from lifting rates by more than the increase in the cash rate.

Mr Hockey says there are other levers Mr Swan should be using, including punitive ones, and he says the Parliament might act if the Government does not.