Sarah Palin Endorses Hamas  —  How can it be that some people still pretend that Sarah Palin is suited for high office?  This country has never seen someone so comprehensively unprepared for the vice presidency; Dan Quayle was Metternich by comparison.  I've watched Sarah Palin's interview …

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 …

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.

The Rich Are Staging a Coup This Morning ...a message from Michael Moore  —  Let me cut to the chase.  The biggest robbery in the history of this country is taking place as you read this.  Though no guns are being used, 300 million hostages are being taken.

McCain takes credit for bill before it loses  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his top aides took credit for building a winning bailout coalition - hours before the vote failed and stocks tanked.  —  The rush to claim he had engineered a victory now looks like a strategic blunder …

Obama sought rape victim for ad  —  Barack Obama's campaign earlier this month sought to find a rape victim to appear in a campaign commercial, according to an e-mail obtained by Politico.  —  Kiersten Steward, director of public policy at the Family Violence Prevention Fund …

US elections: Barack Obama's team believes he can win by a landslide  —  Barack Obama's senior aides believe he is on course for a landslide election victory over John McCain and will comfortably exceed most current predictions in the race for the White House.

McCain's Moment  —  No one wants to take ownership of the task of rescuing the economy right now.  The Bush-Paulson plan has failed.  The administration, House Democrats, and House Republicans (above all) have all proved unable to deliver.  But there is someone who might be able to save the economy …

Gallup Daily: Obama Maintains 8-Point Lead  —  Registered voters prefer Obama to McCain, 50% to 42%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update, based on Sept. 26-28 polling, shows Barack Obama with a 50% to 42% lead over John McCain, unchanged from the prior report.

O'S DANGEROUS PALS  —  BARACK'S ‘ORGANIZER’ BUDS PUSHED FOR BAD MORTGAGES  —  WHAT exactly does a “community organizer” do?  Barack Obama's rise has left many Americans asking themselves that question.  Here's a big part of the answer: Community organizers intimidate banks into making high-risk loans to customers with poor credit.

Swing District Congressmen Doomed Bailout  —  This was predictable, I suppose, but it's remarkable to see how strong a relationship there is between today's failed vote on the bailout and the competitive nature of different House races.  —  Among 38 incumbent congressmen in races rated as …

Chicago dive bar scores hit with nude Sarah Palin portrait  —  People are flocking to snap pictures of the latest tribute to Sarah Palin, a nude portrait depicting her in red stilettos and her trademark eyeglasses.  —  Brian Boyer  —  Artist Bruce Elliott says the hardest part was “getting the color right.”

Breaking: It's official.  House rejects Trillion-Dollar-Plus Crap Sandwich; roll call vote added  —  Scroll for updates...roll call vote added...  The votes have been tallied.  —  228 NAY.  —  205 YEA.  —  The Crap Sandwich goes down in flames.  —  Still no official announcement on the House floor.

Three Scenarios  —  The best case: This is an example of America's democratic institutions reasserting themselves in the face of the attempt by a panicked technocratic elite to prop up reckless institutions that richly deserve to fail.  —  The worst case: You know what.

McCain's Share of The Blame?  —  Sen. John McCain and his campaign believe he ought to have gotten credit — some credit — for its passage.  —  McCain, today: … Said Steve Schmidt, McCain's chief strategist, on Meet the Press: … So if McCain wanted credit for passage, should he share some of the blame for its defeat?