As expected, Saddam Hussein sentenced to hang.

Update: The widely held view has been that Saddam's sentencing was timed to boost Republican prospects in the midterm elections. But a number of readers have suggested that any intended boost is likely to be offset by a spike in violence in Iraq and a possible spike in U.S. casualties. That bears watching. Early reports this morning from Iraq suggest as much, with Shiites celebrating in the streets and gun battles breaking out in Sunni neighborhoods.