McCain Slights Spanish Prime Minister  —  The Union Radio interview with John McCain on issues of interest to Hispanics was conducted in English and only later translated into Spanish for listeners.  The audio above is of the English-only interview.  —  By Glenn Kessler and Ed O'Keefe

Sen. Hagel doubts Palin's ready  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska on Wednesday became the nation's most prominent Republican officeholder to publicly question whether Sarah Palin has the experience to serve as president.  —  “She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials,” Hagel said in an interview.

Biden says McCain's economic answers go nowhere  —  CANTON, Ohio - Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday called Republican John McCain's answers to the current economic crisis “the ultimate bridge to nowhere” and said that paying higher taxes would be patriotic for wealthier Americans.

Gallup Daily: Obama 48%, McCain 44%  —  Marks Obama's first statistically significant lead in two weeks  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The Sept. 15-17 Gallup Poll Daily tracking update shows Barack Obama with a 48% to 44% lead over John McCain among registered voters, marking the first time that Obama …

McCain: Would fire Bush SEC chairman  —  Trying to regain his footing on the financial crisis, John McCain called Thursday for the firing of the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — Chris Cox, a former Republican congressman.  —  McCain's call drew immediate fire …

Obama mocks McCain in Nevada stops  —  Barack Obama sharpened his attacks on John McCain and mocked the Republican's recent calls for reform in two stops in Nevada on Wednesday after days of listening to nervous supporters fret about the Democrat's chances of taking the White House.

State of the Race: Is McCain In Trouble?  —  One of the unpleasant things you discover when you sit in major league baseball press boxes from time to time is that the press — or at least the print media — actually do not like close baseball games.  A walk-off home run or a blown save means …

McCain/Palin Rally in Cedar Rapids  —  I arrived on scene about an hour and a half before the event is to start.  The traffic along I-380 was starting to get dicey, folks waiting in line to enter the parking area and wait for a shuttle to the airplane hanger where the rally will take place.

McCain on the Economy  —  In Iowa today, John McCain discussed the causes of the financial crisis in some detail, noted his history of calling for Fannie and Freddie reform, proposed some further moves (like the creation of a mortgage and financial institutions trust and, in classic McCain fashion …

A PACKED HOUSE.... A few months ago, John McCain described his favorite setting — town-hall meetings — as the “essence of democracy.”  McCain seemed to revel in interacting with audiences, fielding all kinds of questions.  That is, until the campaign reached crunch time — before yesterday …

Key Bush States Might Flip  —  BARACK OBAMA IS DOING WELL IN FOUR OF FIVE BUSH-WON BATTLEGROUNDS POLLED BY ALLSTATE/NATIONAL JOURNAL.  —  Propelled by dissatisfaction with the country's direction but hampered by doubts about his readiness for the presidency, Barack Obama is forcefully challenging John …

Worst Crisis Since '30s, With No End Yet in Sight  —  The financial crisis that began 13 months ago has entered a new, far more serious phase.  —  Lingering hopes that the damage could be contained to a handful of financial institutions that made bad bets on mortgages have evaporated.

Democratic Congress May Adjourn, Leave Crisis to Fed, Treasury  —  Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) — The Democratic-controlled Congress, acknowledging that it isn't equipped to lead the way to a solution for the financial crisis and can't agree on a path to follow, is likely to just get out of the way.

McCain's Closing Argument  —  Man is in love and loves what vanishes.  —  What more is there to say?  —  Conservatives, who reputedly have lumps of coal where their hearts should be, have fallen in love.  So have many people who are not doctrinal conservatives.

Will McCain Waste Palin?  —  The media is turning the news into a presidential video game.  “Hurricane Ike” or “Wall Street Meltdown” appears onscreen, and the media boots up Barack Obama and John McCain to see how well they talk the problem.  Mostly they are speaking gobbledygook about things they barely understand.