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Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
McCain Wins Debate — Although the fate of tonight's presidential debate in Mississippi remains very much up in the air, John McCain has apparently already won it — if you believe an Internet ad an astute reader spotted next to this piece in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal this morning.
Discussion:
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The Huffington Post:
Ex-Adviser: McCain “Blinked,” Campaign “Governed By Tactics, Not Ideology” — Scroll down to see McCain ad... After days of saying that John McCain would not attend Friday's presidential debate unless an agreement on a bailout package for the markets was “locked-down,” the McCain campaign has gone back on its word.
The Politico:
GOP concerned about Palin — A growing number of Republicans are expressing concern about Sarah Palin's uneven — and sometimes downright awkward — performances in her limited media appearances. — Conservative columnists Kathleen Parker, a former Palin supporter, says the vice presidential nominee should step aside.
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Kathryn Jean Lopez / National Review:
Free Sarah Palin! — I absolutely refuse to watch another Sarah Palin interview. — It's not because I don't like the lady and don't want to hear what she has to say. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. It's because I want to hear what she's about and what she believes in and that's why I won't listen anymore.
Kathleen Parker / National Review:
Palin Problem — If at one time women were considered heretical for swimming upstream against feminist orthodoxy, they now face condemnation for swimming downstream — away from Sarah Palin. — To express reservations about her qualifications to be vice president — and possibly president — is to risk being labeled anti-woman.
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Palin should step down, conservative commentator says — (CNN) - Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is “out of her league” and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party.
Natalie Gewargis / Political Punch:
The Role of John McCain in the Bailout Bill — Sen. John McCain's role in the current dealings on Capitol Hill should not be overstated positively or negatively, Capitol Hill sources from both parties say. — Democrats are blaming McCain, R-Ariz., for the disastrous meeting yesterday.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
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The Politico:McCain will go to debate
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The Huffington Post:
Sarah Palin's Beauty Pageant Swimsuit Competition Footage (VIDEO) — Sarah Palin's 1984 beauty pageant swimsuit competition video has hit the web. An Alaskan has uploaded what he claims to be 100% real footage of Sarah Palin in a red tank suit in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest.
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Dr. Rusty Shackleford / The Jawa Report:Video: Sarah Palin Swimsuit Competition
Discussion:
The Other McCain
Washington Wire:
Ku Klux Klan Members Plan to Appear at Presidential Debate Site — Corey Dade reports from Oxford, Miss., on the presidential race. — When the University of Mississippi hosts the first presidential debate tonight, the two sides of its troubled racial history could converge.
Discussion:
Think Progress
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Judd Legum / The Huffington Post:
Ignore The Pundits: How To Figure Out Who Won The Debate — There were 23 debates during the Democratic primary and part of my job on the Hillary campaign was to monitor the post-debate reaction in the media. I watched hundreds of self-described political experts instantly declare who won and who lost.
CNN:
Evangelist arrested in child porn case — (CNN) — Evangelist Tony Alamo was arrested Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges related to a child porn investigation, an FBI spokesman said. — The 74-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries was arrested without incident at 2:45 p.m. …
Jim DeMint:
What Caused The Economic Crisis? Watch This! — Senator DeMint wanted to share this video on the federal bailout with you. Thanks for your support.
Don Kaplan / New York Post:
MAD ABOUT LETTERMAN — MCCAIN VIDEO 'JACKED FROM KATIE — CBS News executives were red- faced yesterday trying to explain how David Letterman used unaired news footage of Sen. John McCain with Katie Couric to embarrass the Republican presidential candidate.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Barnett: ‘Unprecedented,’ ‘free-form’ debate format — Bob Barnett, the D.C. lawyer who helped negotiate out the debate agreement for Obama's side, said this evening that the debate would take an “unprecedented” format with the potential for some “free-form discussion” debate.
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
MSNBC Refusing To Run Outside Group's Ad Questioning McCain's Health — MSNBC has notified an independent group running an ad questioning John McCain's health that it will no longer air the spot, only a half day after Fox's Bill O'Reilly attacked NBC's corporate bosses on the air over the ad, the group tells me.
Marc Ambinder:
Obama Memo: We're Really, Really Bad At Debates... And John McCain is really good. — If it's 2pm the day of the debate, it must be an expectations-lowering memo. — Read it all after the jump.
Discussion:
Wake up America, Top of the Ticket, Sister Toldjah, FiveThirtyEight.com, Comments from Left Field, Commentary, Stumper and Swampland
Larry Kudlow / The Corner:
A Paulson-Cantor Plan Is a Win-Win for Taxpayers — The single-biggest mistake in the Paulson bank-rescue-plan marketing effort has been the failure to explain clearly how taxpayers are going to recoup $700 billion used to buy toxic assets at auction in order to unfreeze the banking system.
Megan McArdle:
Morally bankrupt — I cannot address all the patently untrue things that McCain and Obama are saying, but I must protest when Barack Obama claims that people are going bankrupt because of health expenses. There is no evidence to suggest that this is a widespread phenomenon.
Amanda / Think Progress:
Bachmann Blames President Clinton, ‘Blacks,’ And ‘Other Minorities’ For Current Financial Crisis — Yesterday in a Senate hearing on the financial crisis, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) spoke on what caused the situation. To make her point, she read from an article called …
Jesse Walker / Reason:
Barack Obama vs. Free Speech — Here's an ad the National Rifle Association is running in Pennsylvania: — The Obama campaign disputes the accuracy of the advertisement, which is fine. It has also threatened regulatory retaliation against outlets that show it, which isn't fine.
Discussion:
The Campaign Spot
Rich Lowry / The Corner:
A Hostile Audience — One side effect of McCain's debate gambit is, I'm told, that everyone at Ole Miss now hates him. It will make for a very hostile audience tonight among those students and faculty attending. He might have to apologize for creating the uncertainty or make some explanation up front, which is never ideal.
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