WASHINGTON: With more than 50 million Americans having already cast their ballots, the Nov. 3 midterm elections are entering the final stretch. Republicans and Democrats are locked in fierce contests for multiple seats in both the House and the Senate, with certain races remaining extremely tight.

To boost their prospects, both parties have pulled out all the stops in recent weeks: the alleged recruiting of a candidate to confuse voters, offering monetary incentives, featuring an opponent's estranged mother in a political ad, and wielding government power to investigate political rivals.

In the pursuit of victory, both parties seem determined to push the boundaries of political conduct ever further. Is this a farewell to political decency?