OY  —  Well, it doesn't appear to have registered in the American press yet.  But the story keeps bubbling in the Spanish press about McCain's bizarre gaffe about the Spanish Prime Minister.  Here's the front page cut out from the Spanish news channel that did the interview.  They've talked to the interviewer now.

The story behind the Palin e-mail hacking  —  This afternoon, I mentioned an infamous group of hackers whose Internet bulletin board was the gathering place for those who bragged about and publicized the Sarah Palin private e-mail hacking.  —  A tech-savvy reader who monitors …

FIRST THOUGHTS: BACK TO AUGUST?  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann  —  *** We're back to August?  This presidential contest has certainly been a roller-coaster ride.  And as we suggested yesterday, something in the race turned this week.

Exclusive: Gov. Sarah Palin on ‘Hannity & Colmes’  —  This is a rush transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” September 17, 2008.  This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.  —  SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: She is the politician who has taken America by storm and who has changed the very dynamic of the presidential race.

Biden: Paying higher taxes patriotic for wealthy  —  WASHINGTON - Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday that paying more in taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans.  In a new TV ad that repeats widely debunked claims about the Democratic tax plan …

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.

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.

Obama Needs to Sell Himself, Not Attack McCain  —  Be careful not to assign too much scientific precision to polls.  They aren't as accurate as portrayed.  But several different surveys at roughly the same time that show similar results are useful guides.  So three trends in recent polls must worry …

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.

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.

THEY HOPE PEOPLE DON'T NOTICE HOW THEY'VE CHANGED THE GROUND RULES  —  In today's Chicago Tribune, the Obama camp responds to nitpicky concerns about their attempts to shut down radio shows that might say things they don't like, via their “Obama Action Wires”:

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.

Federal Aid to Detroit Seems Likely  —  WASHINGTON — After a series of government interventions in the private markets, one seemingly more astonishing than the next, lawmakers found themselves confronted on Wednesday with the question of when and where to draw the line on future aid.

Our view on bipartisanship: Who's the better uniter?  —  McCain has a longer record of bucking his party's orthodoxy.  —  Presidents who try to push through major policy changes without the opposing party almost always come to grief.  George W. Bush's bid to create private accounts …