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 …

McCain Aide's Firm Was Paid by Freddie Mac  —  WASHINGTON— One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain's campaign manager from the end of 2005 through last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Buffett to Invest $5 Billion in Goldman  —  Famed Investor's Move Is Seen as a Vote of Confidence in Crisis-Stricken Banking System; Old Ties to Firm Paved Way for Deal  —  Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said it will get a $5 billion investment from billionaire Warren Buffett's company …

Obama concedes that bailout costs may force him to adjust plans  —  WASHINGTON — Barack Obama said Tuesday that the huge costs of a financial bailout meant that he probably wouldn't be able to deliver everything he was promising in his campaign, at least not as quickly as he'd hoped.

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 …

GOP's Shelby Leads Conservatives Against Bailout  —  Alabaman Opposed Rescue of Chrysler; Tough on Paulson  —  WASHINGTON — With anger mounting from the left and right against the Treasury Department's proposed financial bailout, one of the opponents' most powerful allies is Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby …

Media Campaigns Hard for Obama  —  The mainstream media have gone over the line and are now straight-out propagandists for the Obama campaign.  —  While they have been liberal and blinkered in their worldview for decades, in 2007-08, for the first time, the major media consciously are covering …

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 …

New voting glitches raise concerns in Florida  —  Palm Beach problems have officials worried about potential repeat of 2000  —  TAMPA, Fla. - Nearly a month after voters in Florida cast their ballots, opponents in the razor-close election head for court as a judge approves a third recount.

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 …

Poll finds 18 percent of voters undecided  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — With Wall Street in turmoil and the economy in shambles, whichever presidential candidate convinces a swath of persuadable voters that he gets it — and can be trusted to lead the country back to fiscal stability — could well win the White House.

House GOP rises up against Cheney  —  There was a time when Dick Cheney could turn back a Republican revolt on Capitol Hill.  —  That time is gone.  —  House Republicans rose up en masse against their vice president on Tuesday morning to blast an administration proposal …

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 …