A guide to CNN election coverage

While on a quick tour of the Anderson Cooper blogs, its seems that there is speculation about what may or may not be happening regarding his shortened broadcast hours this week. No fear friends, "AC 360" will be back in regular fashion after the election season comes to an end. Paula Zahn will actually be giving up a good chunk of her own show's time for extended hours of "The Situation Room", but she will be co-hosting with Wolf Blizter.

Frankly, I'd be in favor of a shorter "360" if it meant Jack Cafferty could have his own show. Jack, I wish you were 30 years younger! The best hour of television would be an election special hosted by Cafferty and Cooper. Has a nice ring doesn't it? CNN you should be thinking about this pair ;)

UPDATE: There is no "Anderson Cooper 360" airing tonight. Instead, Lou Dobbs and the "War on the Middle Class." Plus, Jack Cafferty takes on the left and right. Tonight at 10 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET.

Here is a comprehensive schedule of America Votes 2006 and Broken Government programs follows. All times Eastern.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18, at 7 p.m.

Dobbs kicks off CNN’s America Votes 2006 coverage with “War on the Middle Class.” Taking advantage of a town-hall setting in Kansas City, Mo., Dobbs examines real issues facing middle-class Americans with the people impacted most. The hour looks at the cost of housing, education and health care, as well as stagnant wages and the difficulty of achieving and maintaining middle-class status in this country.

THURSDAY, OCT. 19, at 7 p.m.

Kicking off the Broken Government series, Jack Cafferty takes on Washington in “Jack Cafferty: Broken Government.” In his characteristic style, Cafferty will engage viewers by telling it like he sees it on topics including government spending, corruption, abuse of power, electronic voting, the political party system and America’s borders. He will cut through the spin with a tough look at right, left and center. The special will feature viewer e-mails and top guests.

MONDAY, OCT. 23, at 8 p.m.

Broken Government will continue with a jarring insider’s look at Capitol Hill in “The Do Nothing Congress.” The House of Representatives has gone home after meeting for only 93 days this year and accomplishing virtually nothing. CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry – a veteran of a decade covering Capitol Hill – portrays the paralysis brought on by partisanship and obsession over raising money for elections.

TUESDAY, OCT. 24, at 8 p.m.

In “Two Left Feet,” senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, who has covered political campaigns for more than three decades, will examine why Democratic candidates seem to have such a hard time getting elected. She explores the reasons why Democrats are perceived by many voters as out-of-touch "wimps” incapable of keeping America secure, and why they’re so often out-maneuvered by Republican opponents who often appear to be better organized and faster on their feet.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25, at 7 p.m.

Dobbs anchors the second of his one-hour specials, “Broken Borders,” from San Antonio as he guides a town-hall examination of illegal immigration from all angles. The hour examines border security, the impact of illegal immigration on health care and public services and the action of employers who exploit illegal immigrants as a cheap source of labor. A re-airing of the award-winning CNN Presents documentary “Immigrant Nation” follows at 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 26, at 8 p.m.

In “Power Play,” chief national correspondent John King returns to his former beat, the White House, to report on the Bush administration’s controversial efforts to wrest back executive authority stripped away by Congress in the years following Vietnam and Watergate.

FRIDAY, OCT. 27, at 8 p.m.

CNN will look at the party controlling both houses of Congress and the presidency as CNN senior political analyst Jeff Greenfield, looks at the GOP dilemma in “Where the Right Went Wrong.” With Republicans firmly in power, many of those most deeply committed to the conservative cause are enraged over out-of-control government spending, political pork, nation-building and the president’s more lenient approach to immigration.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28, at 8 p.m.

In “Judges on Trial,” CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin examines the increasing influence of politics in the courts, which were designed to be above the day-to-day political fray. Following recent court battles over Terri Schiavo, gay marriage, abortion and voting rights, “activist judges” has become a hot political catch phrase. Toobin explores whether the American judicial branch is really renegade and unaccountable or actually under the thumb of politicians and special interests. This special will feature rare exclusive interviews with former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice Stephen Breyer inside the Supreme Court.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29, at 7 p.m.

In “Democracy at Risk: E-voting’s Threat,” Lou Dobbs and correspondent Kitty Pilgrim examine whether every vote will count in the mid-term elections. From voter fraud and voter ID legislation to systematic problems with electronic voting machines, the hour details how many Americans are not convinced their votes get counted.

MONDAY, OCT. 30-FRIDAY, NOV. 3, from 7-9 p.m.

In the week leading up to Election Night, CNN will air special two-hour prime-time editions of The Situation Room anchored by Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn.

SATURDAY, NOV. 4

For a special one-hour “Your Health/Your Vote” edition of House Call at 8 a.m., senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines how the results of the mid-term election might affect health- and medical-related issues such as prescription drugs, Medicare, uninsured Americans and stem-cell research. This edition of House Call will re-air on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 8 a.m.

For a special election edition of Open House taped in Minneapolis, Minn., at 9:30 a.m., CNN’s personal finance editor Gerri Willis explains how the upcomingction will affect the housing market. This edition of Open House will re-air on Saturday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 5, at 5:30 p.m. both days on Headline News.

Jack Cafferty anchors a special election edition of In the Money at 1 p.m. in which the program considers how the election results will affect personal financial and economic issues. This edition of In the Money re-airs on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m.

Senior national correspondent John Roberts anchors a special edition of This Week at War live from Iraq at 7 p.m. For “The Iraq Effect,” Roberts travels to Baghdad to offer an up-to-the-minute status report on the war. Pentagon correspondents Jamie McIntyre and Barbara Starr will contribute to the program. This edition of This Week at War re-airs on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 6, from 4 p.m. to midnight

CNN offers a comprehensive preview of Election Day.

TUESDAY, NOV. 7 – ELECTION DAY

CNN’s coverage originates from the new, state-of-the-art studio at the Time Warner Center in New York and will be co-anchored by Blitzer, Cooper and Dobbs, joined by Zahn. A special two-hour Larry King Live follows at midnight.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8, from 4 p.m. to midnight

CNN offers special prime-time coverage of the impact of the 2006 mid-term elections.

“As voters prepare to make critical decisions about the prosecution of the Iraq war, the wider war on terrorism and the economy, Americans of all ideologies have a nagging sense that something is fundamentally wrong with the way our government operates,” said CNN political director Sam Feist. “Broken Government will offer concrete examples of where the problems lie and serve as a high-resolution snapshot of the most highly charged election season since 1994.”

All parts of the Broken Government series will re-air at 11 p.m. (ET) following their premieres. Terry Irving is the series’ supervising producer. Feist will oversee the series and the broader America Votes 2006 coverage.

Original screencap courtesy of Anderloads.