Clinton, Edwards hold private post-debate meeting  —  MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) — What were they talking about?  —  Hillary Clinton and John Edwards met privately backstage following a very contentious Democratic presidential debate in this coastal city, sources with both campaigns confirm to CNN.

For immediate release  —  The Federal Open Market Committee has decided to lower its target for the federal funds rate 75 basis points to 3-1/2 percent.  —  The Committee took this action in view of a weakening of the economic outlook and increasing downside risks to growth.

The Voters Revolt  —  The Reagan administration had its pragmatists and its so-called ideologues.  It had James Baker as well as Ed Meese.  Reagan carried moderate states like Connecticut, Wisconsin and Washington, as well as conservative ones like Wyoming and South Carolina.

Someone Didn't Get The Word  —  Fareed Zakaria: … Ah, those sad, sad, Democrats.  So unaware that the war's over.  The dude who killed at least fourteen and wounded seventeen in Tikrit must, like the Democrats, have been wearing partisan blinders when he failed to acknowledge the surge's success in bringing the war to an end.

Pre-emptive nuclear strike ‘an option’  —  The west must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to try to halt the “imminent” spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, according to a radical manifesto for a new Nato by five of the west's most senior military officers and strategists.

Attorneys probe deepens  —  The federal investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys could jolt the political landscape ahead of the November elections, according to several people close to the inquiry.  —  Washington's attention has been diverted from the scandal since …

Take Charge, Central Bankers  —  There's a global stock market tsunami gathering force.  It may hit U.S. shores very hard this morning.  —  Much of this is panic over a U.S. recession threat that has yet to clearly materialize.  The world sell-off also vastly overestimates loan …

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS  —  It's hard for me to think of much good from this debate.  If you view debates like a boxing match, I guess it was lively and perhaps entertaining, in the sense that a good boxing match can be, though the fighting was more intense than well executed.