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 …

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.

McCain campaign clamps down on questions in Alaska  —  JUNEAU, Alaska - GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is effectively turning over questions about her record as Alaska's governor to John McCain's political campaign, part of an ambitious Republican strategy to limit …

Clinton blindsided by scheduled event with Palin  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has canceled an appearance at a New York rally next week after organizers blindsided her by inviting Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, aides to the senator said Tuesday.

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 …

Strong Fundamentals  —  Eric Rauchway reflects on Herbert Hoover's October 25, 1929 proclamation that “The fundamental business of the country, that is the production and distribution of commodities, is on a sound and prosperous basis.” … Now of course to actually get down to the depths …

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.

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 …

U.S. Embassy in Yemen Attacked  —  Attackers exploded a vehicle bomb outside the main gate of the U.S. Embassy in Yemen on Wednesday in what appeared to be a well-coordinated assault that triggered more explosions and heavy gunfire around the compound.  —  Yemen's official Saba news agency …

True Whoppers  —  Economists are not generally known for their lyrical phrasing.  But the other day, one told me something about the election that has stuck with me: He cautioned against succumbing to the “symmetry of sin.”  —  This unexpected snippet of political poetry …

Democrats Go There  —  I'm sure Keith Olbermann will be angered to tears over exploiting this tragedy.  —  So long as we know what the ground rules are, fine.  We'll start running commercials accusing Democrats of dishonoring the dead.  (F**k that— let's have some now-out-of-the-service vets explain …

Even on trial, Stevens pulls in earmarks  —  Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is busy fending off federal charges and scrambling to retain his seat, but that hasn't affected his appetite for earmarks.  —  Stevens has secured the most earmarks in the Senate defense appropriations bill, according to an analysis by The Hill.

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 …