Bill Clinton: Don't ‘Overly Parse’ McCain Request to Delay Debate  —  ABC News' Nitya Venkataraman Reports: Former President Bill Clinton defended Sen. John McCain's request to delay the first presidential debate, saying McCain did it in “good faith” and pushed organizers to reserve …

Schieffer: Paulson Pleaded for McCain to Save Bailout  —  So much for a “stunt.”  —  John McCain got involved in the bailout negotiations after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told Sen. Lindsey Graham yesterday that the bailout plan would fail unless McCain came in and brought balky Republicans aboard.

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

Let's Keep People In Their Homes  —  There is a broad consensus that Congress must act to stave off deeper turmoil on Wall Street.  Irrespective of the final agreement yet to be reached, there are several principles that must be part of a broader reform effort that begins this week and continues in the coming months.

Palin once blessed to be free from ‘witchcraft’  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A grainy YouTube video surfaced Wednesday showing Sarah Palin being blessed in her hometown church three years ago by a Kenyan pastor who prayed for her protection from “witchcraft” as she prepared to seek higher office.

Unsevered Ties?  —  Regulatory filings indicate that McCain campaign chief Rick Davis remains an officer with his lobbying firm.  —  Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, has remained the treasurer and a corporate director of his lobbying firm this year, despite repeated statements …

Obama grant being probed  —  A $100,000 state grant for a botanic garden in Englewood that then-state Sen. Barack Obama awarded in 2001 to a group headed by a onetime campaign volunteer is now under investigation by the Illinois attorney general amid new questions, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reports …

Selfless or Reckless?  McCain Gambles On Voters' Verdict  —  John McCain is a gambler by nature, and the bet he placed Wednesday may be among the biggest of his political life.  —  The Republican presidential nominee is hoping that his abrupt decision to suspend campaigning …

Jobless claims soar near 7-year high  —  First economic report since financial meltdown shows initial unemployment claims rose by 7%, boosted by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — In the first economic reading from the period since the Wall Street crisis erupted …

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert: Mock the Vote  —  With just five weeks left until election day, our favorite pundits discuss the power of Sarah Palin, why TV news is about as credible as Muzak, and whether Barack Obama is going to be “sworn in on a gay baby”

A Bailout We Don't Need  —  Now that all five big investment banks — Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley — have disappeared or morphed into regular banks, a question arises.  —  Is this bailout still necessary?  —  The point of the bailout …

Times puzzle is clueless about McCain  —  On Jan. 8, 2005, I purposefully and unapologetically became the first person to ever construct a crossword puzzle for The New York Times that featured this five-letter answer:  —  OBAMA.  —  Earlier this week, Steve Schmidt, John McCain's senior campaign adviser …

Paulson cannot be allowed a blank cheque  —  Hank Paulson's $700bn rescue package has run into difficulty on Capitol Hill.  Rightly so: it was ill-conceived.  Congress would be abdicating its responsibility if it gave the Treasury secretary a blank cheque.

Lobbyists in ‘feeding frenzy’  —  WASHINGTON — The financial services industry, which has spent billions on lobbying and campaign contributions over the last decade, is scrambling to make its case for a proposed $700 billion bailout plan amid deep public skepticism.

A sneaking suspicion  —  So now the whole rationale for the plan is “price discovery”: we're going to throw lots of taxpayer funds into the pot because that will let us find the true values of troubled assets, which are higher than the fire sale prices out there, and so balance sheet will improve, confidence will return, etc, etc..

House clears $25bn for carmakers  —  The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a $25bn package of low-cost loans to help hard-pressed carmakers and their suppliers finance plant modernisation at a time of restricted access to public capital ­markets.

Palin, Muthee And The “Israelites”  —  If you go to 1:20 into this Youtube, you will hear Muthee, who later anointed Palin, say the following words in Palin's presence: … Sure they vetted her.

A Supply Side Approach to the Crisis  —  Yesterday I pointed out that credit is still robust.  Growth rates are declining, however, and many people say the real crunch is around the corner.  Thus, today I want to suggest a new approach to dealing with the crisis that will have benefits regardless of how the crisis unfolds.

The Examiner endorses McCain-Palin  —  The Examiner endorses John McCain for president and his running mate, Sarah Palin, for vice president.  America is at war overseas and in an economic crisis here at home.  Many of her citizens believe the country is on the wrong track.

AP: BushCo To Accept Dem Plan  —  According to this AP story, the deal about to be struck between the Bush Administration and Congress will essentially be the Dodd/Dem plan: … (Emphasis supplied.)  Good stuff, but one sticking point that I think creates an opportunity: … (Emphasis supplied.)

Just a barking dog in the night  —  Christopher Beam has it wrong in Slate when he suggests that I and others are mistaken in thinking Biden's gaffes-a-minute are beginning finally to matter, raising questions to the Obama team whether their VP is up to the job—and blunting its criticism of Palin's experience and seriousness.

JOHN MCCAIN'S LATEST CRAZY, BRILLIANT, DESPERATE CAMPAIGN TACTIC.  —  John McCain has launched his second Hail Mary pass in a month.  On Wednesday he called for a suspension of the presidential campaign—no events, no ads, and no debate Friday—so that he and Barack Obama can head to Washington to forge a bipartisan solution.