New heights of stupidity  —  We're fighting multiple wars; our oldest and most established financial institutions are on the verge of collapse; we've fundamentally transformed and then dismantled our constitutional framework over the last eight years, etc. etc.

Apology Not Accepted  —  Back in 2000, after John McCain lost his mostly honorable campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, he went about apologizing to journalists—including me—for his most obvious mis-step: his support for keeping the confederate flag on the state house.

As Campaign Heats Up, Untruths Can Become Facts Before They're Undone  —  From the moment Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin declared that she had opposed the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere,” critics, the news media and nonpartisan fact checkers have called it a fabrication or, at best, a half-truth.

My Fair Veep  —  The rain in Spain stays mainly in the Arctic plain ...  I hope John McCain doesn't throw his slippers at Sarah Palin's head or get as acerbic as Henry Higgins did with Eliza Doolittle when she did not learn quickly enough.  McCain's Pygmalion has to be careful …

Warned by the Court  —  A judge repeatedly told Palin and family not to badmouth her sister's ex  —  An Anchorage judge three years ago warned Sarah Palin and members of her family to stop “disparaging” the reputation of Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten, who at the time was undergoing …

Pentagon cancels tanker competition  —  The Pentagon announced today that it has canceled the controversial competition to replace the Air Force's Eisenhower-era fleet of aerial refueling tankers after defense officials concluded they can't pick a winner before the conclusion of the Bush administration.

Shaken Dems fear Obama on downslide  —  Democrats in Congress are rattled over the momentum Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has brought to John McCain's presidential campaign and disagree about how their candidate should respond.  —  Some Democrats say that Democratic nominee Barack Obama's campaign must …

Fresh blood for the vampire  —  A beady-eyed McCain gets a boost from the charismatic Sarah Palin, a powerful new feminist — yes, feminist! — force.  Plus: Obama must embrace his dull side.  —  Rip tide!  Is the Obama campaign shooting out to sea like a paper boat?

UNFIT FOR HIGH OFFICE  —  One of the interesting aspects of this campaign is watching the scales fall from the eyes of many of John McCain's closest admirers among the veteran DC press corps.  I'm not talking about the freaks on Fox News or any of the sycophants at the AP.

Paul rejects McCain's plea for endorsement  —  Featured Topics: - John McCain - Barack Obama  —  WASHINGTON - Ron Paul says he rejected John McCain's appeal for his endorsement.  —  At a news conference Wednesday, Paul said he received a surprise call from McCain's campaign on Tuesday asking for his endorsement.

Yes, Palin Did Stop That Bridge  —  “But, you know, when you've been taking all these earmarks when it's convenient, and then suddenly you're the champion anti-earmark person, that's not change.  Come on!  I mean, words mean something, you can't just make stuff up.”  — Barack Obama, Sept. 6, 2008

Pelosi: Rangel won't be forced aside  —  Hoping to put the Democrats' “culture of corruption” argument to work for themselves, House Republicans on Tuesday called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to remove Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) from his post as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Russell Brand pulled Sarah Palin electric chair jokes at VMA  —  Russell Brand was forced to cut jokes about Sarah Palin sending her own daughter to the electric chair when he presented the MTV Video Music Awards, he has said.  —  The British comedian appeared to annoy celebrities and some fans …