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.

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.

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.

We'll Protect Taxpayers From More Bailouts  —  The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is another outrageous, but sadly necessary, step for these two institutions.  Given the long-term mismanagement and flawed structure of these two companies, this was the only short-term alternative …

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.

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.

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” …

Obama camp briefs McCain press corps  —  Obama campaign manager David Plouffe defended the Democratic nominee's strategy on Monday, after a spate of recent polls reported John McCain with a slight lead in the race.  —  “In this building we don't spend a lot of time on national polls …

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.

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 …

Top Lawyer Is Selected As U.S. Mulls Google Suit  —  Washington — The Justice Department has quietly hired one of the nation's best-known litigators, former Walt Disney Co. vice chairman Sanford Litvack, for a possible antitrust challenge to Google Inc.'s growing power in advertising.

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.

Liberal Blogs Assail Anchor Changes  —  The decision by MSNBC to yank Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from anchor duty during live political events did not exactly send a thrill up the leg of liberal bloggers.  —  A number of them denounced the cable channel yesterday for making a change …

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 …