S.C. Dem chair: Palin primary qualification is she hasn't had an abortion  —  South Carolina Democratic chairwoman Carol Fowler sharply attacked Sarah Palin today, saying John McCain had chosen a running mate “ whose primary qualification seems to be that she hasn't had an abortion.”

Sex, Drug Use and Graft Cited in Interior Department  —  WASHINGTON — As Congress prepares to debate expansion of drilling in taxpayer-owned coastal waters, the Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a wide-ranging ethics scandal …

McCain-Palin Distorts Our Finding  —  Those attacks on Palin that we debunked didn't come from Obama.  —  FACTCHECK.ORG  —  A McCain-Palin ad has FactCheck.org calling Obama's attacks on Palin “absolutely false” and “misleading.”  That's what we said, but it wasn't about Obama.

The American Idol candidate  —  I think I might be able to explain some of Sara Palin's appeal.  She's the “American Idol” candidate.  Consider.  What defines an “American Idol” finalist?  They're good-looking, work well on television, have a sunny personality, are fierce competitors …

Obama on Letterman: Palin is lipstick, McCain policies are pig  —  Amie Parnes reports that Obama just taped this evening's show with David Letterman, which touched at length on the McCain campaign's accusations that he'd spoken disrespectfully about Sarah Palin.

On 7th Anniversary Of Attacks, White House Claims Bin Laden Was Not The ‘Mastermind’ of Sept. 11  —  Tomorrow marks the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  In a press conference today, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Dana Perino about the administration's ongoing efforts …

Palin's earmarks: Not just for the halibut  —  Senator John McCain recently told reporters that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has “learned that earmarks are bad.”  —  But not that bad, apparently.  According to a “summary of requests for federal appropriations” posted to her budget office's website earlier …

Payback: GOP points to Biden daughter  —  Call it Palin Payback.  —  After Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol, her teenage pregnancy, and her high school boyfriend were run through the media wringer last week, Republicans are now pointing to Joe Biden's daughter, Ashley, to make the case …

McCain's Integrity  —  For me, this surreal moment - like the entire surrealism of the past ten days - is not really about Sarah Palin or Barack Obama or pigs or fish or lipstick.  It's about John McCain.  The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent and honest person.

Bush Said to Give Orders Allowing Raids in Pakistan  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush secretly approved orders in July that for the first time allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government, according to senior American officials.

HRC defends Obama on ‘lipstick’  —  From NBC's Ken Strickland  —  At a Capitol Hill news conference today, Hillary Clinton defended Obama's “lipstick on a pig” comment, accusing McCain of using the controversy to distract from substantive issues in the campaign.

CNN battleground polls: Race a dead heat in key states  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - New state polls indicate that the race for the White House remains a dead heat in four crucial battleground states that could determine the outcome of the election.  —  CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls …

Election 2008: New Mexico Presidential Election  —  McCain Gains Ground in New Mexico  —  For the first time all year, John McCain has topped Barack Obama in a New Mexico poll.  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows McCain attracting 49% of the vote while Obama earns 47%.

Ethics Adviser Warned Palin About Trooper Issue  —  Letter Described Situation as ‘Grave,’ Called for Apology  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An informal adviser who has counseled Gov. Sarah Palin on ethics issues urged her in July to apologize for her handling of the dismissal …

The Politics of Polarization  —  Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) listens as his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks during a campaign rally at Van Dyke Park September 10, 2008 in Fairfax, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)  —  On Thursday, the seventh anniversary …