House Rejects Bailout Package, 228-205; Stocks Plunge  —  WASHINGTON — In a moment of historic import in the Capitol and on Wall Street, the House of Representatives voted on Monday to reject a $700 billion rescue of the financial industry.  The vote came in stunning defiance of President Bush …

OK, we are a banana republic  —  House votes no. Rex Nutting has the best line: House to Wall Street: Drop Dead.  He also correctly places the blame and/or credit with House Republicans.  For reasons I've already explained, I don't think the Dem leadership was in a position to craft a bill …

Bailout questions answered  —  I'm being asked two big questions about this thing: (1) Was it really necessary?  (2) Shouldn't Dems have tossed the whole Paulson approach out the window and done something completely different?  —  On (1), the answer is yes.

Nancy Pelosi's bailout attack speech on the House floor; Update: Pence statement added  —  I noted it during my liveblog of the House debate.  Here's a video sample of her crap sandwich.  As I mentioned while it was happening, she received multiple rounds of applause on the floor before and after her spittle-flecked statement.

‘Substantive’ Press Is Taken for a Spin  —  OXFORD, Miss. — David Axelrod was surrounded by a pack of camera-toting, mike-wielding, pushing-and-shoving media types, one of whom asked whether his man Barack Obama had been “too nice” in the just-completed debate with John McCain.

More to come from Palin-Couric  —  Howie Kurtz raised some eyebrows by reporting this morning that “the worst may be yet to come for Palin; sources say CBS has two more responses on tape that will likely prove embarrassing.”  —  A source familiar with CBS News' plans clarified that this is part of the …

In reintroduction, Palin to do more interviews and “tell her story”  —  Tacitly acknowledging criticism that she's been diminished in part by an overly protective media shield, Sarah Palin will take a more forward-leaning approach and do additional interviews in the weeks ahead, a top aide said today.

Stocks crushed  —  Dow down 778, worst point drop ever, after the House rejects the $700 billion bank bailout plan.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks skidded Monday afternoon, with the Dow's nearly 778-point drop being the worst single-day point loss ever, after the House rejected the government's $700 billion bank bailout plan.