Politics and campaigning dominate this last full week before Election Day, preceded so closely by Halloween that strained metaphors about ghosts, goblins and zombies should abound.

President Obama visits American Cord & Webbing in Woonsocket, R.I., this afternoon, then does a DNC event. He talks about the economy somewhere in the Washington area on Friday. (If it’s another “backyard” talk, does the Secret Service have to rake the leaves?) Otherwise, it’s a week of campaigning, concluding with Cleveland on Sunday. Here’s his weekly schedule.

Congress is on recess, awaiting its fate, save for the Senate, which meets preemptorily in pro forma sessions Tuesday and Friday.

Senate Hearings: Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) chairs a Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee hearing field hearing in Newark Tuesday, “Toxic Chemicals and Children’s Environmental Health.” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testifies. On Thursday, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) chairs a Judiciary subcommittee field hearing in Providence, “Mandatory Mediation Programs: Can Bankruptcy Courts Help End the Foreclosure Crisis?”

Executive Branch: The International Association Chiefs of Police’s annual conference in Orlando attracts Vice President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano for speeches today. The Vice President then heads out on an eight-state campaign tour. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today joins Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY) in Malta, N.Y., to talk economic development and tour the GlobalFoundries Fab 8 project (previously Fab 2.) Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is in Medford, Ore., today to discuss forest policy with interested parties and then hold a news conference with Rep. Peter Defazio (D-OR). The Los Angeles Times summarizes the situation, “Surrogates out in full force for one last pitch.”

Economic Reports: The big economic report of the week is third quarter GDP, released Friday. Boo! Otherwise, as The New York Times reports, “Data will include existing home sales for September from the National Association of Realtors (Monday); the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of home prices for August and the Consumer Confidence Index (Tuesday); durable goods for September and new home sales for September from the government (Wednesday); weekly jobless claims (Thursday).” See also Neil Irwin’s “Economic events for the week beginning Oct. 25.”