As Midterms Approach, Republicans Waffle On Tax Message

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio dropped a bomb yesterday when he said he’d be willing to let the Bush era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire, and vote only for extending middle class tax cuts. Polls show the GOP could win control of the House of Representatives this November for the second time in 56 years, and both Boehner and President Obama spent time in Ohio this past week, where analysts predict Democrats could lose four House seats to the GOP. We speak to Gail Chaddock, senior congressional correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.

• Christian Science Monitor: Why Ohio? Behind Obama’s choice of Cleveland for jobs speech

A Tale Of Two Tea Party Primaries

An overnight poll shows insurgent Tea Party senate candidate, Christine O’Donnell, with a 3-point lead over longtime moderate Republican Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware. And in New Hampshire, Republican state attorney general, Kelly Ayotte, has seen her lead shrink because of a challenge by Ovide Lamontagne, a Tea Party-favored lawyer. Peter Wallsten, national political reporter for the Wall Street Journal, joins us to talk about the implications of primaries in seven states and the District of Columbia tomorrow.

• Candidates in the N.H. primary races

Concerns About Security Ahead Of Afghan Election

As Afghanistan gets ready for Saturday’s parliamentary vote, there are fears that once again corruption and fraud will be major issues. But the biggest problem may be security. In many parts of the country, polling places have already been closed and candidates haven’t been able to campaign because of security issues. The BBC’s Ian Pannell reports from Ghazni, where the Taliban control the majority of the districts.

Chinese Investment in Africa

Per capita income in sub-Saharan Africa has doubled over the last decade, and China is now the continent’s biggest investor and trading partner. Chinese companies and workers are laying new railroad tracks, building ports, cities, and highways on a scale not seen since the European empires ruled Africa. Our guest, Howard French, traveled through the region to see if the Chinese era will leave Africans better off than the European one. Howard French is an author, photographer, and professor of journalism at Columbia.

• The Atlantic: The Next Empire

Spinning the Blues

On his radio show “Blues Before Sunrise,” Chicago-based Steve Cushing spins vintage gems from 50 years of the blues. He also features interviews with many of the artists which are collected in a new book, “Blues Before Sunrise: The Radio Interviews.”

Music From The Show

• The Sea and Cake, “Leaf”
• The Mercury, “Crusading Theme”
• Howlin’ Wolf, “Smokestack Lightin’”
• Jesse Thomas “Melody In C”
• Jody Williams “Lookin’ For My Baby”
• Jody Williams and Billy Steward “Billy’s Blues Part 2”
• Mickey and Sylvia “Love is Strange”
• Tommy Brown “Weepin’ And Cryin’ Blues”
• Fleetwood Mac “Albatross”