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: If That's What I'd Meant, Palin Would Be the Lipstick, 'McCain's Failed Policies' the Pig  —  In an interview on the “Late Show with David Letterman” to air later tonight, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., answers some questions on the lipstick controversy.

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 …

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.

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 …

Biden: Hillary a Better Pick Than Me  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Ill., vice presidential nominee, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Wednesday said that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., might have been a better pick for the position than him.

Obama On His Heels  —  This campaign has taken a surprising turn since the Democratic convention.  Everybody is still talking about the Republican vice-presidential nominee.  —  Who would have predicted this just two weeks ago?  —  When I say everybody is talking about Governor Palin, I mean everybody.

High-Degree Professionals Show Power  —  Survey Highlights Worry of Winners, Losers in Economy  —  Workers with professional degrees, such as doctors and lawyers, were the only educational group to see their inflation-adjusted earnings increase over the most recent economic expansion …

What's the Pig Deal?  —  IT'S HARD to think of a presidential campaign with a wider chasm between the seriousness of the issues confronting the country and the triviality, so far anyway, of the political discourse.  On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits …

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 …