EXCLUSIVE: LETTERMAN MOCKS MCCAIN CANCELLATION  —  David Letterman tells audience that McCain called him today to tell him he had to rush back to DC to deal with the economy.  —  Then in the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric.

McCain camp to propose postponing VP debate  —  (CNN) — McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate …

Palin and Couric  —  Full transcript after the jump.  This is a rough bit:

McCain's Aides Give the Tick Tock  —  NEW YORK — McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt said the GOP presidential nominee had begun to take his television ads down unilaterally and said the Arizona senator is hoping that Sen. Barack Obama will do the same.  —  “Senator McCain made a decision today …

Paulson, Senate Dems reach tentative bailout deal  —  Senate Democrats emerged from a meeting Wednesday with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to report a general, conceptual — but fragile — agreement on a $700 billion plan to rescue the U.S. financial markets.

SARAH PALIN LOVER REVEALED!  —  In a world exclusive The NATIONAL ENQUIRER names GOP VP Candidate Sarah Palin's secret lover!  —  No less than three members of the man's family including one by sworn affidavit have claimed that Sarah Palin engaged in an extramarital affair with hus­band Todd's former business partner, Brad Hanson.

Bad News For The Bailout  —  Lawmakers on Capitol Hill seem determined to work together to pass a bill that will get the credit markets churning again.  But will they do it this week, as some had hoped just a few days ago?  Don't count on it.  —  “Do I expect to pass something this week?”

Pakistan's president tells Palin she is ‘gorgeous’  —  NEW YORK (CNN) - Sarah Palin and the foreign leaders she has met with in New York have said very little to reporters over the last two days, but the press happened to be in the room on Wednesday for one eyebrow-raising exchange …

Bush Aides Linked to Talks on Interrogations  —  WASHINGTON — Senior White House officials played a central role in deliberations in the spring of 2002 about whether the Central Intelligence Agency could legally use harsh interrogation techniques while questioning an operative of Al Qaeda …

Johnson to lead Obama briefing  —  Former Fannie Mae chairman Jim Johnson was dumped from Obama's vice presidential search team, but he's still playing a behind-the-scenes role on the campaign.  —  Former Senator Tom Daschle, a top Obama backer, emailed a select list this afternoon …

A non-emergency meeting  —  The McCain campaign's new urgency about the financial crisis didn't entirely clear his schedule this morning.  —  My colleague Amie Parnes reports that he made it to his scheduled morning meeting with Lady Lynn de Rothschild, a Clinton backer who recently came out in support of him.

President's Address to the Nation  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good evening.  This is an extraordinary period for America's economy.  Over the past few weeks, many Americans have felt anxiety about their finances and their future.  I understand their worry and their frustration.