Fed's $85 Billion Loan Rescues Insurer  —  By EDMUND L. ANDREWS, MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH  —  WASHINGTON — Fearing a financial crisis worldwide, the Federal Reserve reversed course on Tuesday and agreed to an $85 billion bailout that would give the government control …

Fiorina's comment called ‘Biden-like’  —  (CNN) — Top McCain-Palin official Carly Fiorina is facing criticism from some within the campaign for a day of what they call “very Biden-like” comments, after the former Hewlett-Packard CEO told two separate interviewers that neither member …

Financial gloom doesn't halt glitzy Obama fundraiser  —  So what does Barack Obama do after a hard day of defending the common man during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression?  —  Throw a $28,500-a-head fundraising dinner, of course.  —  Followed by a $2,500 …

Sebelius: Say, did you know Republicans are racists?  Update: AP or Miami Herald tries cleaning up Sebelius' comments  —  Hmmm.  Didn't Barack Obama just get done scolding John McCain over “dishonorable” attacks?  Maybe he should save his criticisms for his surrogates, except that they're parroting The One in his own baseless smears.

Prominent Clinton backer and DNC member to endorse McCain  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee's Platform Committee, will endorse John McCain for president on Wednesday, her spokesman tells CNN.

The Mortgage Debacle - Not Enough Blame To Share Some With The Democrats?  —  Nancy Pelosi somewhat implausibly insisted that Democrats are blameless in the current mortgage debacle: … Barack Obama blames Bush for slack oversight: … However, the record tells the opposite story …

McCain and Palin are laughing at the press — and it's the press' fault  —  Chris Matthews was steamed.  —  As John McCain's manufactured “lipstick on a pig” story was taking flight last week, Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball, kicked off the hour by teeing up the story.

Obama Inflates Role in Creation of Stimulus Package  —  In Golden, Colo., today, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., took credit for the stimulus package that passed earlier this year.  —  “In January, I outlined a plan to help revive our faltering economy,” Obama said, “which formed the basis …

The Silence of the Lemmings  —  Barack Obama's campaign seems determined to cultivate a hostile relationship with potential critics, real and imagined.  After complaining loudly that talk radio doesn't provide a balanced look at politics, KCOL's Brad Jones attempted to get an Obama spokesperson …

Laura Ingraham vs. David Brooks  —  From her daily e-blast:

Historians say McCain camp not sleaziest  —  David Axelrod, Barack Obama's chief strategist, said Sunday that John McCain is running the “sleaziest and least honorable campaign in modern presidential campaign history.”  It was a line trotted out all weekend by various Obama staffers as part …

For immediate release  —  The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 2 percent.  —  Strains in financial markets have increased significantly and labor markets have weakened further.  Economic growth appears to have slowed recently …