Revolt of the Nihilists  —  In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt inherited an economic crisis.  He understood that his first job was to restore confidence, to give people a sense that somebody was in charge, that something was going to be done.  —  This generation of political leaders is confronting …

RNC ad, was cut, sent out before package failed  —  The Republican National Committee's new advertisement critical of the the Wall Street “bailout” was produced and sent to television stations in key states before the package failed, officials at two stations said.  —  “Wall Street Squanders our money.

Biden's strategy: Go easy on Palin  —  If Sarah Palin goofs, flounders, stumbles or blunders during her debate against Joe Biden on Thursday night, Biden is going to let it slide.  —  “If she makes a gaffe, he underplays it,” one of the people prepping Biden for his vice presidential debate told me.

The politics of the bill  —  There is no glory to go around here.  Assume, arguendo, that most people in the House believed both that the bill would be passed, and that anyone who voted for it would suffer politically, except maybe in New York.  —  Pelosi screwed up royally.  She is the Democratic Tom DeLay.

Ideal of the Scoop  —  Following are excerpts of remarks by the Editor of the Sun, Seth Lipsky, to the newspaper's staff:  —  It is my duty to report today that Ira Stoll and I and our partners have concluded that the Sun will cease publication.  Our last number will be the issue dated September 30, the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

A READER AT A MAJOR NEWSROOM EMAILS: “Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true.  We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in arizona.  Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae.  Editor refuses to publish anything …

52.4 Million Watched McCain And Obama's First Debate  —  According to data from across 11 networks, the first presidential debate on September 26 between John McCain and Barack Obama drew 52.4 million viewers.  —  The TV audience for the first presidential debate of the 2008 election …

With Brokaw as Elder Statesman, NBC Plans Future of ‘Meet the Press’  —  WASHINGTON — Sometime between Election Day and early December, NBC News will make a final decision about who will replace Tim Russert and his interim successor, Tom Brokaw, at the helm of “Meet the Press,” Steve Capus …

Commentary: Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer  —  Editor's note: Jeffrey A. Miron is senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University.  A Libertarian, he was one of 166 academic economists who signed a letter to congressional leaders last week opposing the government bailout plan.

Diageo/Hotline: Obama Surges in Battleground States  —  An early look at today's Diageo/Hotline tracking poll shows Sen. Barack Obama now holds a double-digit lead in key battleground states.  —  Among registered voters surveyed in Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Florida …

A House Divided Along Twisted Lines  —  The bailout bill was going down to defeat on the House floor yesterday, and Democratic and Republican leaders were desperately trying to twist arms and change votes when a bipartisan group of backbenchers began to heckle them.

McCain And Obama Highs And Lows From Debate Dial Tests  —  During the first presidential debate on September 26, Barack Obama's comments on oil independence, health care, the Iraq War, and Al Qaeda drew the most positive responses from a panel of uncommitted, registered voters who allowed CBS …

New AFL-CIO Mailer On Health Care  —  Here's the latest mail piece from the AFL-CIO.  It hits Sen. McCain on health care, and it'll be sent to more than a million union members across seven states, according to an AFL-CIO spokesperson.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, SUSPEND AGAIN!  —  John McCain made the morning show rounds today.  On Fox they were virtually begging him to “suspend” his campaign again in the wake of the bailout failure yesterday on the Hill.  You know, since it worked out so well the first time.

RNC: ‘Worse’  —  The Republican Party's independent expenditure arm is up with an ad that hints at opposing the bailout, and links Obama's spending plans, in a vague but ominous way, to it.  —  The ad was expected to air in Indiana and Virginia, along with more traditional battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin.