Lawmakers Reach Tentative Bailout Deal  —  Top U.S. policy makers emerged from hours of tense negotiations with a clear message just after midnight Sunday morning: A deal to bailout U.S. financial markets has been agreed on and all that remains to be done is to commit the legislation to paper.

Tina Fey As Sarah Palin: Katie Couric SNL Skit (VIDEO)  —  Tina Fey returned to Saturday Night Live to reprise her widely hailed impersonation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  The sketch focused on an interview Palin recently gave to CBS News' Katie Couric, including an exchange about Russia.

Family Told Obama NOT To Wear Soldier Son's Bracelet... Where is Media?  —  Barack Obama played the “me too” game during the Friday debates on September 26 after Senator John McCain mentioned that he was wearing a bracelet with the name of Cpl. Matthew Stanley, a resident of New Hampshire …

Palin Contradicts McCain On Pakistan, Seems To Back Obama's Position  —  From CBS News' Scott Conroy:  —  (PHILADELPHIA) Sarah Palin told a customer at a Philadelphia restaurant on Saturday that the United States should “absolutely” launch cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan …

McCain as the Alpha Male  —  There were no knockout blows in the first presidential debate of the fall, but John McCain outpointed Barack Obama often enough to encourage his followers that he can somehow overcome the odds and deny the Democrats the victory that has seemed to be in store for them.

USA Today/Gallop Poll: Obama Did Better in First Debate  —  Obama Scores Big on Proposal to Change the Country  —  A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows 46% of people who watched Friday night's presidential debate say Democrat Barack Obama did a better job than Republican John McCain; 34% said McCain did better.

McCain camp prays for Palin wedding  —  The marriage of the vice-presidential candidate's pregnant teenage daughter could lift a flagging campaign  —  In an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one …

McCain claims bailout credit  —  Previewing a McCain campaign message for the days ahead, top strategist Steve Schmidt claimed Sunday that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is partly responsible for the tentative agreement on a mortgage bailout that congressional leaders announced shortly after midnight.

McCain and Team Have Many Ties to Gambling Industry  —  Senator John McCain was on a roll.  In a room reserved for high-stakes gamblers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, he tossed $100 chips around a hot craps table.  When the marathon session ended around 2:30 a.m. …

How do you solve a problem like Sarah Palin?  —  On Fox News Sunday this morning Bill Kristol said let Palin go - that the McCain team is roping her off from the press and surrounding her with Bushie advisors, which sounds like the third ring of hell.  She's a talented politician, Bill advises …

McCain And Torture  —  A reader writes: … I agree.  I am angry that McCain betrayed the intelligence community and all of us by signing onto CIA torture in 2006.  I stuck with him after that because I felt he was essential to the vital struggle to return the US to the community of civilized nations.

Headwinds  —  It's tempting to the think of a presidential debate as a moment of truth.  Advertisements may be pure spin and conventions may be staged, but in a debate it's mostly about which candidate has superior command of the issues, greater debating skill, and the more winning personality.

MCCAIN-PALIN (DAVIS MANAFORT)  —  In that Newsweek piece (noted below), which details Rick Davis's continuing financial ties to mega-lobby firm Davis Manafort, Mike Isikoff reveals that in addition to paying Davis's salary directly to Davis Manafort, the McCain campaign has paid almost …

Congress expected to pass rescue package  —  WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders and the Bush administration agreed Sunday on the main elements of a $700 billion bailout for the financial industry, paving the way for swift enactment of the largest government intervention in markets since the Great Depression.