McCain Loses His Head  —  “The queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small.  ‘Off with his head!’ she said without even looking around.”  —  Under the pressure of the financial crisis, one presidential candidate is behaving like a flustered rookie playing in a league too high.

Obama and Ayers Pushed Radicalism On Schools  —  Despite having authored two autobiographies, Barack Obama has never written about his most important executive experience.  From 1995 to 1999, he led an education foundation called the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC), and remained on the board until 2001.

McCain camp criticism rife with errors  —  Sen. John McCain's top campaign aides convened a conference call today to complain of being called “liars.”  They pressed the media to scrutinize specific elements of Sen. Barack Obama's record.  —  But the call was so rife with simple …

Ron Paul's Presidential Endorsement.  For Real, This Time.  —  Two weeks after his “third party alliance” press conference, three weeks after the Rally for the Republic, Ron Paul finally dives in and endorses a presidential candidate.  This guy.  —  Paul's reasoning had a lot to do with Bob Barr's snub of the third party presser.

A Second Opinion?  —  Does anyone think it's just a little weird to be stampeded into a $700 billion solution to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression by the very people who brought us the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression?  —  How about a second opinion?

Ethan Winner Responds: Claims He Produced Video  —  Ethan Winner responds.  Written like a VP in a public relations firm that specializes in crisis management and grassroots organization.  I'll post the whole thing below.  —  He produced the video?  He paid for the voice-over narration which he found through a talent agency?

How close was the financial system to melting down?  —  I do not work for the Treasury, the Fed, or an investment house, so take this for what it's worth.  But my understanding is really, frighteningly close.  Remember the monster that lived under your bed when you were five?  Actually, mine lived in the closet.

Limbaugh repeats baseless Obama smear: “He's Arab. ...  [H]e's not African-American”  —  On the September 22 broadcast of his syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh baselessly claimed that Sen. Barack Obama is “not black,” and went on to ask: “Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood?”

Lobbyists seek change to language  —  Lobbying on the rescue plan for Wall Street intensified Monday as the package moved to Congress, giving advocates another avenue to alter the language in ways favorable to their clients.  —  Up to now, the actions to stem the financial calamity …

The Story Behind Biden's Emergency Helicopter Landing in Afghanistan  —  “Ladies and gentlemen, where are we now?  Where are we now?”  Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said to the National Guard Association today, talking about the war in Afghanistan.  —  “If you want to know where Al Qaeda lives …

Anti-Iran Rally Turns Into Anti-Obama Rally  —  Jewish Groups Furious That Protest Against Ahmadinejad Was, At Times, A Pro-Palin, Bash-The-Dems Affair  —  NEW YORK (CBS) ― Politics and diplomacy were not a good mix at Monday's protest rally against Iran at the United Nations.

CNN Poll: GOP takes brunt of blame for economy, Obama gains  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll suggests that by a 2-to-1 margin, Americans blame Republicans over Democrats for the financial crisis that has swept across the country the past few weeks …

Biden on Obama's e-mail ad: “I thought that was terrible”  —  Skip ahead to 4:05.  For the second time in three days, Greasy Joe proves himself one of America's most effective anti-Obama advocates.  —  I hope you appreciate his nuance, at least, in hinting that Obama didn't approve an ad that ended with …

Sitting Room Only for Obama in Green Bay  —  Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin packed the house last week in Green Bay, Wis., at the Resch Center.  —  Not so today in the same arena with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as ABC News' Sunlen Miller captured in these photos.  — jpt

Daddy doesn't know best  —  I've had more time to read the Dodd proposal — and it is a big improvement over the Paulson plan.  The key feature, I believe, is the equity participation: if Treasury buys assets, it gets warrants that can be converted into equity if the price of the purchased assets falls.

The Battle Plan II: Sarah “Evita” Palin, the Muse of the Coming Police State  —  Please understand what you are looking at when you look at Sarah “Evita” Palin.  You are looking at the designated muse of the coming American police state.  —  You have to understand how things work …

Bailout Satire  —  Add your own toxic holdings to the big s**tpile here.  —  I almost missed this email because it was diverted to my spam folder.  But apparently Paulson is sending this around:

Shock: Daily Kos Diary Asking Readers to Send Video to Ten Friends Each Now Disappeared As Well  —  Here's what it says now. … Here's what it used to say.  Emphases mine. … I'd say this is pretty strong evidence “geekesque” is also part of the Winner & Associates viral marketing team …

$13 Billion in Iraq Aid Wasted Or Stolen, Ex-Investigator Says  —  A former Iraqi official estimated yesterday that more than $13 billion meant for reconstruction projects in Iraq was wasted or stolen through elaborate fraud schemes.  —  Salam Adhoob, a former chief investigator …

Poll: Palin helping GOP with women  —  The selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee has greatly increased the GOP ticket's appeal to women, a poll indicates.  —  Since she was chosen by Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona …

Obama, McCain In Tight Race in Va., Poll Shows  —  Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain are locked in an extremely competitive race for Virginia's 13 electoral votes amid widespread public anxiety over the economy and the direction the country is heading, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Council Demands Palin Ouster from Fallout Shelter  —  Newark, Blast Ring 4: Radioactive mutants from the National Jewish Democratic Council today tapped an angry Morse code press release message on the lid of the fallout shelter of another Jewish organization, demanding that it “immediately disinvite” …

A Scrappy Fighter, McCain Honed His Debating Style in and Out of Politics  —  Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, heads into the first debate on Friday with a track record as a scrappy combatant and the instincts of a fighter pilot, prepared to take out his opponent and willing to take risks to do so.