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Winchester, Va., is predominantly Republican, and the surrounding county favored John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. But it's part of a state where public opinion appears to increasingly favor Democrats. Guest host Linda Wertheimer reports on the political landscape.

So far in this presidential campaign, the two main contestants have managed to keep details of their plans for the White House remarkably vague. Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Jacki Lyden speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about what he'd like to hear once they share the same stage at the first debate.

In a move to perhaps change the topic after a turbulent few weeks, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released his 2011 tax returns. But the move has not silenced his critics. With just 45 days until Election Day, weekends on All Things Considered guest host Jacki Lyden speaks with NPR's White House Correspondent Ari Shapiro about the candidate's next steps. Lyden also checks in with Walter Shapiro who says Romney's video-taped comments at a Miami fundraiser may be his Dukakis-tank moment, and also with republican strategist Ed Rogers of the Washington Post about Romney's possible comeback moment.

Mitt Romney's release Friday of his 2011 tax return and a summary of his tax rate over 20 years gave friends and foes alike something to grab hold of. But not all his allies greeted the move.

Emotions are still raw in Wisconsin after the bitter fight over public unions and the unsuccessful vote to recall Gov. Scott Walker. As the presidential election approaches, many people are deeply pained by the divide between political extremes, and wishing they felt better about this race.

Republican dreams of taking control of the U.S. Senate in November have been declared all but dead over the past several days by prognosticators pointing to trouble facing the party in unexpected places. But a noted analyst of Senate races says much could change between now and Election Day.

Robert Siegel talks to regular political commentators, E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of The New York Times. They discuss Mitt Romney's "47 percent," new polls on the presidential race, and close Senate races.

Many people erupted in outrage when secretly taped remarks by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney were released earlier this week. But people from both sides of the political aisle suggest that maybe Romney has a point. Host Michel Martin speaks with David Sirota who wrote about this on Salon.com, and Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute.

In November, voters will decide whether new state laws on issues such as labor policy, immigration and gay marriage can remain in effect. They're using a process called "popular referendum." Different from a ballot initiative, it amounts to a public veto of elected officials. And its use is growing.

In the coming weeks, candidates will bombard your mailboxes with ads. It may seem old-fashioned, but the consultants who devise direct-mail campaigns have become sophisticated about knowing whom to reach and what to say.