Obama: ‘Lipstick on a pig’  —  Amie Parnes reports from Lebanon, VA: … The crowd apparently took the “lipstick” line as a reference to Palin, who described the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull in a single word: “lipstick.”  —  UPDATE: The McCain campaign is now saying Obama called Palin a pig, which he didn't.

McCain Leaps Ahead in NC  —  Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain  —  RALEIGH (WTVD) — In an election for President of the United States in North Carolina Tuesday, September 09, Republican John McCain suddenly and breathtakingly surges to a 20-point win over Democrat Barack Obama …

Ron Paul Plans ‘Special Announcement’  —  Brad Haynes reports on the presidential race.  —  Rep. Ron Paul, the former Republican presidential candidate who excited a multitude of young voters during the primaries, announced a “major” news conference in Washington Wednesday.

Was Biden Talking About Palin During Stem Cell Research Reference?  —  From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro:  —  (COLUMBIA, MO.) - Was Joe Biden referring to Sarah Palin, a mother of a child with Down syndrome, when he made this comment?  —  “I hear all this talk about how the Republicans …

Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a “per diem” allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

I Dream About Sarah Palin.  Do You?  —  SEND US YOUR DREAMS ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE.  —  I rarely remember my dreams, but for the past week, GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been haunting me.  Night after night, she appears in my dreams, always as a scolding, ominous figure.

Can Obama Win Back Wal-Mart Moms?  —  It might be easy to dismiss John McCain's resurgence in the polls as merely a convention bounce, especially in light of the excitement generated by running mate Sarah Palin, but there's one startling shift that should be particularly worrisome to Barack Obama's campaign.

An awkward moment in Columbia  —  Victoria McGrane:

Gallup Daily: McCain Maintains 5-Point Lead  —  Support among registered voters steady at 49%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update finds John McCain maintaining his five-point lead versus Barack Obama among registered voters, 49% to 44%.

LYING SARAH WATCH  —  Sometimes when you've got a liar as big as Sarah Palin on the line only a timeline will really do justice to her fibbing ways.  —  So a lot of you have written in to ask: Okay, she says she said ‘Thanks.  But no thanks’ to the Bridge to Nowhere.  But how exactly did it all come out?

Palin Pick Helps McCain Catch Obama in New Poll  —  WASHINGTON — John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate has shaken up the presidential race, lifting enthusiasm among his once-subdued supporters, and boosting the ticket's appeal with women, rural voters, and Southerners.

Quietly, Obama Campaign Calls In The Cavalry  —  There's been a spurt of 527 activity on behalf of Sen. John McCain, but Barack Obama campaign has suddenly gone silent on the subject.  —  That's because, after of year of telling donors not to contribute to 527 groups, of encouraging strategists …

Koch backs Obama, calls Palin ‘scary’  —  Former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who endorsed and worked for George W. Bush in 2004, is endorsing Obama today, NY1 first reported.  —  I asked Koch just now what prompted the move.  —  “The designation of Palin to be vice president,” he said.  “She's scary.”

In a Not-Remotely-Comic Strip, Bill Ayers Weighs In on What He Meant By 'We Didn't Do Enough' to End Vietnam War  —  In a four-panel not-even-remotely-comic strip, William Ayers, the former member of the Weather Underground and associate of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., weighs in on his blog on some of the controversy he's been causing.

Brown backs Obama  —  Gordon Brown has broken with British convention and made clear that he favours Barack Obama as the next US President.  —  In a departure from the usual self-denying ordinance of Prime Ministers past, Brown has written an article for The Monitor magazine …