BOSTON, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick Thursday named Democrat Paul G. Kirk Jr. to fill late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat on an interim basis.

BOSTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- The Massachusetts state Senate approved a bill allowing Gov. Deval Patrick to name a short-term replacement for the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Democrats are pushing a Massachusetts proposal allowing the governor temporarily to fill the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's vacant seat, officials said Thursday.

UPI Almanac for Monday, Nov. 3, 2008.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Forget about love and the politics of hope: The Fear Factor trumps them every time.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Someone should break the bad news to Sen. Joe Biden: As a vice presidential candidate he's doing far worse than Dan Quayle.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Sen. John McCain continues to confound his critics: His announcement Friday of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was an exceptionally bold move that carries some risks but promises a powerful payoff if it works out.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The Democrats finally started sprinting on Night Three of their convention in Denver, with former President Bill Clinton and vice presidential pick Sen. Joe Biden giving Sen. Barack Obama the boost he so badly needed.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Sen. Barack Obama heads into his nominating convention in Denver next week on the skids: Four years ago Sen. John Kerry, the doomed Democratic contender against President George W. Bush, was in a far stronger position heading for his nominating convention in Boston than Obama is now.