The Clinton-Obama exchange  —  CNN is providing transcript, and the full transcript of their first exchange is after the jump.  —  It began with this line from Obama, on his taxing and spending plans: “What she said wasn't true."  —  MODERATOR: She says that the new programs that she proposes she essentially

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.

Fed Makes Emergency 0.75% Rate Cut  —  The Federal Reserve, responding to an international stock sell-off and the likelihood of a sharp drop in America on Tuesday morning, cut its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point.  —  The Federal Open Market Committee lowered …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

CNN readers respond angrily to ‘race or gender’ story  —  (CNN) — Within minutes of posting a story on CNN's homepage called “Gender or race: Black women voters face tough choices in South Carolina,” readers reacted quickly and angrily.  —  Many took umbrage at the story's suggestion …