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.

Record Contradicts Palin's ‘Bridge’ Claims  —  The Bridge to Nowhere argument isn't going much of anywhere.  —  Despite significant evidence to the contrary, the McCain campaign continues to assert that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told the federal government “thanks but no thanks” to the now-famous bridge to an island in her home state.

Sliming Palin  —  False Internet claims and rumors fly about McCain's running mate.  —  We've been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet postings and mass e-mail messages making claims about McCain's running mate, Gov. Palin.  We find that many are completely false, or misleading.

Sarah Palin dolls go on sale as John McCain's running mate's popularity soars  —  Two new action dolls have gone on sale of Sarah Palin, the Alaska Governor who John McCain has chosen to be his Republican presidential running mate.  —  The dolls are the latest in a line of American political candidates …

Straining to Reach Money Goal, Obama Presses Donors  —  After months of record-breaking fund-raising, a new sense of urgency in Senator Barack Obama's fund-raising team is palpable as the full weight of the campaign's decision to bypass public financing for the general election is suddenly upon it.

Sarah Palin is not such a small-town girl after all  —  It is clear that few in America, let alone Britain, have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin.  The Republicans' vice-presidential candidate confounds the commentators because they don't understand the forces that shaped her in the remote state of Alaska.

McCain Now Winning Majority of Independents  —  Majority of independents now prefer him over Obama, 52% to 37%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — John McCain's 6 percentage-point bounce in voter support spanning the Republican National Convention is largely explained by political independents shifting …

Surprise Me Most  —  None of us have ever lived through an election at a time when 80 percent of voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction.  But now that we're in the thick of it, a few things are clear.  From voters, the demand is: Surprise Me Most.  For candidates, the lesson is: Weirdness Wins.

What's the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists?  Lipstick  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Lee's Summit, Mo., Sept. 8, 2008.  —  John McCain announced that he was running for president to confront the “transcendent challenge” …

Student GOP leader resigns over Obama remark  —  Featured Topics: - John McCain - Barack Obama  —  ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The leader of a statewide group of college Republicans has been forced to resign after posting racially insensitive comments about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on the Internet.

O PASTOR IN SEX SCANDAL  —  REV. WRIGHT DONE ME WRONG: CHURCH LADY  —  By SAMUEL GOLDSMITH in Dallas and JEANE MacINTOSH in NY  —  He almost wrecked Barack Obama's presidential dreams, and now firebrand pastor Jeremiah Wright has helped destroy a Dallas church worker's marriage - and her job, The Post has learned.

Quietly, Obama Campaign Calls In The Calvary  —  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 …

FOX/Rasmussen Swing State Polling  —  Background  —  Rasmussen Reports conducted five state telephone surveys in partnership with Fox News Channel on September 7, 2008.  The surveys were conducted in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  A total of 500 Likely Voters …

No One Convicted of Terror Plot to Bomb Planes  —  LONDON — A lengthy trial centering on what Scotland Yard called a plot to blow up trans-Atlantic airliners ended Monday when the jury convicted three of eight defendants of conspiracy to commit murder.  —  But the jury failed to reach verdicts …