Nominee's ally moves to curb probe of Palin  —  Key Alaska allies of John McCain are trying to derail a politically charged investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner in order to prevent a so-called “October surprise” that would produce embarrassing information …

Palin Rumors  —  Cripes, this has gotten ridiculous.  Folks, look, let's just run through a list here.  (Updated.)  — No, the Downs baby (Trig) isn't Bristol's kid, and no, the kid wasn't born with Downs because (a) Palin flew on an airplane (b) went home to have the baby after an amniotic leak …

Mortgage Industry Nationalized  —  I'm not versed enough in economics to know if this technically qualifies as the nationalization of a major financial sector, but it sure sounds like it: … The problem I have with this is not the move to nationalize the mortgage industry.

Sally Quinn Does Complete U-turn on Sarah Palin  —  What a difference a few hours make.  It is almost like Sally Quinn, the Washington Post faith columnist, was blinded by the light of truth on the road to Damascus.  On CNN's “American Morning” on Friday, Quinn repeated her doubts …

Joe Biden On Fire  —  This is awesome — Joe Biden just tears John McCain and Sarah Palin apart for completely ignoring every single major economic issue facing America and for offering nothing but sarcastic personal attacks.  —  YouTube link

Obama At Bon Jovi Event: 'We Won't Be Bullied'  —  Presidential Nominee Vows To Fight Back Against Character Attacks Better Than John Kerry Did In '04  —  MIDDLETOWN, N.J. (AP) ― Unlike his Republican opponent, Democrat Barack Obama is still raising money for his presidential campaign …

The Trail  —  One of the most compelling anecdotes in Sarah Palin's repertoire is that she auctioned off the Alaska governor's jet on eBay after taking office — a swift move made by a reformer hoping to clean up the excesses of her predecessor.  —  In fact, the jet did not sell on eBay.

Sarah Palin will be missing from action Sunday a.m.  —  As is The Ticket's custom, a post listing the entire roster of appearances on this Sunday's interview programs will pop up Saturday at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT).  —  But here's an advance heads up, in part because of who WON'T be found on any of the chat shows.

How religion guides Palin  —  When Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin promised to lead the nation with a “servant's heart,” evangelical Christians immediately recognized her as one of their own.  —  Whether before an audience of ministry students or on a national stage at the Republican National Convention …

McCain, Obama tied in TV audiences  —  NEW YORK (AP) - As a television draw, John McCain was every bit the equal of Barack Obama.  —  The GOP presidential candidate attracted roughly the same number of viewers to his convention acceptance speech Thursday as Obama did before the Democrats last week, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Sarah Palin as Alaska National Guard commander  —  The job involves important managerial responsibilities but provides little, if any, foreign policy experience, military officials say.  —  WASHINGTON — Seeking to buttress the foreign policy credentials of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin …

Democrats post big gains in voter registration  —  CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) — Five days a week, Linda Graham trolls tattered neighborhoods of this once thriving steel city outside Pittsburgh for unregistered voters she can sign up as Democrats — one of thousands of unknown volunteers whose work outside …

Obama Campaign National Finance Committee Member Criticizes Palin's Parenting  —  On the Laura Ingraham Radio show, Friday, attorney Howard Gutman — an original member of the national finance committee for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. — very directly criticized the parenting of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

McCain Finds the Right Wingman  —  And she's a woman.  —  Last Tuesday, as the hordes of media that had begun to dissect every moment of her political career and personal life were distracted by speeches from Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman in nearby St. Paul, Sarah Palin sat quietly …