McCain on banking and health  —  OK, a correspondent directs me to John McCain's article, Better Health Care at Lower Cost for Every American, in the Sept./Oct. issue of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries.  You might want to be seated before reading this.

Congressional Leaders Stunned by Warnings  —  WASHINGTON — It was a room full of people who rarely hold their tongues.  But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.

Obama votes ‘present’ on new economic rescue plan for now  —  CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Sen. Barack Obama today met with some of his many economic advisors and made an announcement that he was not going to make an announcement about any new plan to plan plans.  —  Obama did suggest a bipartisan effort …

Exclusive: New Doubts Over Palin's Troopergate Claims  —  Internal Government Document Contradicts Sarah Palin, Campaign  —  An internal government document obtained by ABC News appears to contradict Sarah Palin's most recent explanation for why she fired her public safety chief …

Army Alters Photographs, Issues Them To AP  —  The Associated Press retracted two government-issued photographs last night after a photographer in Texas alerted the agency that the photos in question appeared to be doctored.  —  Bob Owen, chief photographer of the San Antonio Express-News …

Linking Obama to Ex-Fannie Mae Chief Is a Stretch  —  “Obama has no background in economics.  Who advises him?  The Post says it's Franklin Raines, for ‘advice on mortgage and housing policy.’ Shocking.  Under Raines, Fannie Mae committed ‘extensive financial fraud.’ Raines made millions.

ASTONISHING: Rep. Rangel Calls Palin ‘Disabled’  —  Embattled Politician: It's Laughable That GOP VP Nominee Bases Foreign Policy On Being Able To See Russia  —  Republicans Infuriated; Rep. King Blasts Rangel  —  NEW YORK (CBS) ― Already under fire for his tax troubles …

One thought pushes fence-sitters to the left: Palin  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Five weeks ago, the St. Petersburg Times convened a group of Tampa Bay voters who were undecided about the presidential election.  Their strong distrust of Barack Obama suggested it was a group ripe for John McCain to win over.

Al Qaeda's Defeat In Iraq  —  Senator Barack Obama's answer to Katie Couric's question a few days ago about why he thinks there have been no terrorist attacks on American soil since September 11, 2001, was bizarre.  —  “Well,” he said, “I think that the initial invasion into Afghanistan disrupted al Qaeda.

Karzai Agrees To Meet With Palin  —  Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will meet next week with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in New York, on the sidelines of the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, according to Afghan officials in Washington.

Once pro-Obama, but now swoon for McPalin?  Who the hell are you?  —  E  —  very white woman I know is positively horrified.  —  Wait, that's not exactly true.  It's more accurate to say that every thoughtful or liberal or intuitive or open-minded white woman I know worth her vagina monologue …

Sandra Bernhard: Palin Would Be Gang-Raped By Blacks in Manhattan  —  The Washington Post isn't the only daily D.C. newspaper to rave about Sandra Bernhard's anti-Palin ranting.  Wednesday's Washington Examiner joined in, with the headline “Comedienne delivers enraged optimism.”

Palin's favorability trajectory  —  Al Rodgers whipped this up:  —  Worth more than 1,000 words, huh?

Bush's Legacy: Small Ball After All?  —  BOTH SUPPORTERS AND CRITICS TEND TO VIEW BUSH AS A GAME-CHANGING PRESIDENT.  BUT HE MAY BE REMEMBERED AS A COMPARATIVELY MINOR FIGURE. … That succinct judgment, received not long ago via e-mail from a political scientist, sums up a good deal …

Welcome to History  —  It's helpful to think of how to address the current financial crisis (and I don't use that word casually) in terms of the end-state we want to achieve, and the transition plan to get there.  —  The problem we face is often described as mind-bendingly complex, but in its essentials, it is simple.