McCain Manager: ‘This Election is Not About Issues’  —  Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain's presidential bid, insisted that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues during an interview with Post editors this morning.  —  “This election is not about issues,” said Davis.

Todd Palin Was Registered Member of Alaska Independence Party Until 2002  —  The McCain camp today disputed rumors that presumptive vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was ever registered with the secessionist Alaska Independence Party by releasing years of voter registration history …

Kristol on Sarah Palin, Hockey Mom  —  McCain aides whose judgment I trust are impressed by Sarah Palin.  One was particularly amused by this exchange: A nervous young McCain staffer took it upon himself to explain to Palin the facts of life in a national campaign, the intense scrutiny she'd …

Gallup Daily: Obama Hits 50% for First Time  —  Leads McCain by eight percentage points, 50% to 42%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, finds Barack Obama leading the race for president with his highest share of support to date.

Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview  —  Three months before she was thrust into the national political spotlight, Gov. Sarah Palin was asked to handle a much smaller task: addressing the graduating class of commission students at her one-time church, Wasilla Assembly of God.

She Is a Small-Town Mayor.  She Is Not — Repeat, Not — the Governor of Alaska.  —  In an interview of Barack Obama last night, CNN's Anderson Cooper mentioned Sarah Palin's experience as a small-town mayor and as governor of Alaska.  Obama, hewing to his campaign's talking points, ignored the governor part:

Republicans Rush In  —  One of the great sights of American political life — a YouTube moment if ever there was one — was to see the doughboy face of Newt Gingrich as he extolled the virtues of Sarah Palin, a sitcom of a vice presidential choice and a disaster movie if she moves up to the presidency …

McCain Spokesman Stumped Trying To Explain Why Palin Is Ready To Be Commander-In-Chief (VIDEO)  —  So, I know that one of the reasons John McCain hastily chose Sarah Palin as his running-and-soul mate was because he thought that Palin would exude some general appeal to female voters …

Fred Thompson rips NYT on Palin coverage  —  ST. PAUL - Former Sen. Fred Thompson lambasted The New York Times for its coverage of Sarah Palin on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper is “trying their best to drag her down.”  —  Thompson told Fox News that the Times has focused on Palin's children, saying, “I don't think they get it.”

Tuesdays with Rupert  —  Since buying The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch has talked freely with the author about his business, his family, and the future.  (There was serious gossip, too.)  It's an unparalleled look at the 77-year-old mogul, transformed by his marriage to Wendi Deng, yet utterly, unapologetically himself.

Vetting?  —  ANCHORAGE — I just got off the phone with the very helpful city clerk at the Wasilla City Clerk's office, Kristie Smithers, who is pulling some documents for me from when Gov. Sarah Palin was mayor.  —  I told her I appreciated her help, since I'm sure she's been bombarded with requests these last few weeks.

Documents detail Palin's political life  —  Sarah Palin may be new to most Americans, but she's not entirely new to the national Democratic Party.  —  Democrat Tony Knowles, her opponent in the 2006 Alaska gubernatorial race, put together a detailed, 63-page research document …