A Partisan Paper of Record  —  Today the New York Times launched its latest attack on this campaign in its capacity as an Obama advocacy organization.  Let us be clear about what this story alleges: The New York Times charges that McCain-Palin 2008 campaign manager Rick Davis was paid …

Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll  —  Turmoil in the financial industry and growing pessimism about the economy have altered the shape of the presidential race, giving Democratic nominee Barack Obama the first clear lead of the general-election campaign over Republican John McCain …

Campbell Brown Rips McCain Camp's “Sexist” Treatment Of Palin  —  A prominent female news anchor chastised the McCain campaign Tuesday evening for engaging in sexism and insulting behavior in its attempt to shield Gov. Sarah Palin from members of the press.  —  In a fiery commentary …

Pelosi won't jump alone  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is telling Democrats that she will not support President Bush's $700 billion bailout of the financial sector unless there is significant Republican support for the controversial plan.  —  The politics of the bailout are tricky and dangerous …

How Main Street Will Profit  —  Capitalism is a delicate balance between production and finance.  Today, our seemingly guaranteed living standard is threatened, much like it has been in previous recessions or, some would say, the Depression.  Finance has run amok because of oversecuritization …

Oh, That Joe!  (No. 17 in a Series) — First Thing We Do, Let's Retain All the Lawyers  —  “I think we're going to be up very late counting votes,” Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., told a kettle of lawyers Tuesday night at a fundraiser for the Democratic Victory Fund hosted by the American Association …

Even FOX Rebels Against Palin Media Shutout  —  Dude, first you lost ABC, and now you've lost FOX News, as evidenced by this testy segment with Shepard Smith yesterday.  That's just gotta smart for a Republican when the official water carrier for the Republican Party openly chastises …

Trooper probe now ‘confidential,’ Palin aides say  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) — Republican campaign officials indicated they are done answering questions about an investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner Tuesday, citing a request by a state investigator.

Intrade Betting is Suspicious  —  There's something funny going on over at Intrade with respect to the pricing of the Obama and McCain contracts.  —  Right now, Obama is trading at 52.3 points.  That is, Intrade implies that he has a 52.3 percent chance to become the next President.

What Made the Great Depression “Great”?  —  The Great Depression is being invoked a lot these days, and I understand there's a reasonable real fear of a total meltdown out there.  But some points are worth making.  Even if we entered a serious depression, we will not experience time travel.

Why Congress will cave on the bailout  —  Having been on vaction last week when the Treasury and Fed intervened to buy up $700 billion of bad debts from financial firms, I was encouraged to return and find not only reputable economists but members of Congress from both parties raising objections to this massive bailout.

FBI Investigates Four Firms at Heart of the Mess  —  Probe Seeks to Learn if Fraud Played Role in Some of the Woes  —  WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have opened preliminary probes into the financial troubles of four high-profile companies that are at the center of the current financial turmoil …

Kill the bailout: Illegal immigration and the mortgage mess  —  My syndicated column today tackles the bailout angle no one wants to talk about: Open borders and the home loan debacle.  You've heard a lot about Fannie/Freddie and the minority lending shakedowns, but you haven't heard …

Poll: Economic Discontent Boosts Barack Obama Over John McCain  —  Democrat Takes 52-43 Lead Among Likely Voters, Erases Republican's Post-Palin Pick Gains  —  Barack Obama has seized the reins of economic discontent, vaulting over John McCain's convention gains by persuading voters …

Pinpoint Attacks Focus on Obama  —  STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — Hundreds of times in the past three weeks, cable television viewers here have been the exclusive audience for two of the roughest advertisements of the political season.  —  One links Senator Barack Obama to the former mayor of Detroit …

Boomlet  —  I dunno about a nine-point lead, Kathryn, but clearly the Obama campaign self-destruct effort managed to stall during Bailout Week.  —  As a general rule, when economic matters are in the news, I would recommend Senator McCain go to Bermuda for a few days and play canasta on the veranda until everything quietens down.

Study: Dems need white vote gain  —  In an election year where Barack Obama pledged to change the electorate, the centrist Democratic Leadership Council has weighed into the debate with a detailed report arguing it will be difficult for Obama to earn enough African American and youth support …

Obama Denies Behind Anti-Palin Video; Bloggers Solely Behind Accusations  —  Marc Ambinder in the Atlantic: … For the record, I tried to get the McCain camp to help me find who was behind the video.  They declined.  —  Seriously, I practically begged for help from all quarters …

Our Generals Almost Cost Us Iraq  —  The dominant media storyline about the Iraq war holds that the decisions about how to conduct it pitted ignorant civilians — especially the president and secretary of defense — against the uniformed military, whose wise and sober advice was cavalierly ignored.