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.

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 …

Excerpts from Palin's Hannity Interview — Part I  —  GOV. SARAH PALIN TELLS FOX NEWS CHANNEL'S SEAN HANNITY  —  ‘THE CORRUPTION ON WALL STREET’ IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILING INSTITUTIONS  —  Palin: 'CEO's and Top Management' Have Been ‘Addicted’ to 'O-P-M, Other People's Money'

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”:

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 …

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 …

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.

Trump endorses McCain on Larry King  —  Donald Trump, the flamboyant New York magnate, said on CNN's “Larry King Live” on Wednesday night that he is supporting Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president.  —  Trump, never shy with his opinions, went on to say that McCain appears to be winning …

THE WASHINGTON POST — NEVER MORE THAN A HEADLINE AWAY FROM A DEMOCRATIC TALKING POINT  —  Today, the Washington Post's news section ran the following headlines relating to the presidential campaign: … The Post has no headlines or stories about Obama.  It probably recognizes that …

Bob Barr Busts Ballot  —  Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr has filed suit that would keep voters from seeing the names Barack Obama and John McCain on their voting machines, saying they failed to follow the Texas law to get their names placed on the ballot.

With little notice, Sarah Palin becomes a GOP fundraising machine  —  While the political and news world was focused on the glitzy Hollywood haul of money by the Obama campaign's Brinks trucks Tuesday night, it turns out lesser-light Sarah Palin was gathering in a good deal more than a million bucks …

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.

High Turnout, New Procedures May Mean an Election Day Mess  —  Faced with a surge in voter registrations leading up to Nov. 4, election officials across the country are bracing for long lines, equipment failures and confusion over polling procedures that could cost thousands the chance to cast a ballot.

Fact-checking Obama  —  First, CBS News's Wyatt Andrews reports on a charge that Barack Obama often makes about John McCain's health care plan: that it will result in tax increases for tens of millions of Americans.  —  The truth is that it... well, it might not— although McCain would require Americans …