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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Bailout follows the 10 normal principles for how our government functions  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  The word being used most frequently to describe the bailout package that is about to pass is “extraordinary.”  That adjective may apply to the amounts of money being transferred …

Opposition to Bailout Plan Falls Dramatically  —  As Congress prepares to vote on a proposed economic rescue plan, opposition to the measure has declined significantly.  A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey conducted Sunday found that 33% of Likely Voters now favor the plan while 32% are opposed and 35% are not sure.

A FAILURE OF POLITICS.  —  The final vote was 205 in favor, 228 against.  This is a huge failure.  A revolt of the incumbents.  More Republicans voted to kill the bill than did Democrats, but not by that much.  The leadership of both parties were whipping in the bills favor.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.