Top Items:
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
GOP ‘Gotcha Journalism’ Charges Throw Spotlight on Debate — For days now, television viewers have watched Sarah Palin unable to explain the significance of her home state's bordering Russia, unable to name a Supreme Court ruling she disagrees with, unable to name a single newspaper she reads.
RELATED:
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
McCain's ‘Stop Sarah Palin’ strategy working like a charm, polls show — Fresh evidence tonight that the brilliant McCain campaign strategy to lock away the political effervescence of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to stoke overconfidence among the nation's Democrats and set the stage …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Wonkette, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, The Dish Rag and TIME.com
Washington Post:
Skepticism of Palin Growing, Poll Finds — With the vice presidential candidates set to square off today in their only scheduled debate, public assessments of Sarah Palin's readiness have plummeted, and she may now be a drag on the Republican ticket among key voter groups, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, MSNBC, Boston Globe, Comments from Left Field, Christian Science Monitor, Daily Kos, DownWithTyranny!, Taylor Marsh, Jules Crittenden, Outside The Beltway, Jack & Jill Politics, Donklephant, FP Passport, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, TIME.com, Electoral-vote.com, Spin Cycle and Martini Revolution
New York Times:
Questions for the Next Vice President — Tonight, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska will meet in the one and only vice presidential debate of the 2008 campaign. The Op-Ed editors asked people with knowledge of the vice presidency, the candidates and their records …
Discussion:
unbossed.com, Patterico's Pontifications, Sister Toldjah, Townhall.com, Hullabaloo and marbury
Michelle Malkin:
What Palin should have said to Couric about the Supreme Court
What Palin should have said to Couric about the Supreme Court
Discussion:
The Corner, Democratic Strategist, Wonkette, Balloon Juice, Sadly, No!, Comments from Left Field and Vodkapundit
Foon Rhee / Boston Globe:
McCain: Life isn't fair — Republican John McCain — making the rounds of the morning news shows as polls show him falling behind Democratic rival Barack Obama and his running mate losing the confidence of voters — sounded either bitter or fatalistic, or perhaps was trying some gallows humor.
RELATED:
Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama Leads McCain by 5 Points — Obama has led McCain by significant margin for last six days — PRINCETON, NJ — Registered voters currently prefer Barack Obama (48%) to John McCain (43%) for president, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.
Discussion:
MyDD
Mike Allen / The Politico:
McCain criticizes Ifill — Hours ahead of the vice presidential debate, Sen John McCain (R-Ariz.) criticized the selection of PBS' Gwen Ifill as moderator because she is writing a book called “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.” — “Frankly, I wish they had picked …
Liz Cox Barrett / CJR:
Drudge Raises a Point
Drudge Raises a Point
Discussion:
iowahawk, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, News Hounds, The Huffington Post, The Volokh Conspiracy and NewsBusters.org
David Bauder / Associated Press:
VP debate moderator's impartiality questioned
VP debate moderator's impartiality questioned
Discussion:
Donklephant, Townhall.com, Weekly Standard, Little Green Footballs, Moonbattery, ProgressPolitics, Scared Monkeys and Pajamas Media
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
McCain pulling out of Michigan — John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play. — McCain will go off TV in Michigan …
David Nather / Beyond the Dome:
Obama Makes McCain Very Uncomfortable — Let the record reflect that Barack Obama made the approach to John McCain tonight. — As the two shared the Senate floor tonight for the first time since they won their party nominations, Obama stood chatting with Democrats on his side of the aisle …
RELATED:
Joe Sudbay / AMERICAblog News:
McCain on the bailout bill he supported last night: “This bill is putting us on the brink of economic disaster” — John McCain was on “Morning Joe” a few minutes ago to talk mostly about the bailout bill. His answers were, as usual, discombobulated as he ranted about Washington (as if he hasn't served in D.C. for 26 years.)
RELATED:
St. Petersburg Times:
Florida GOP meets in secret as Obama passes McCain in polls — TALLAHASSEE — Florida Republican leaders hastily convened a top secret meeting this week to grapple with Sen. John McCain's sagging performance in this must-win state. — Their fears were confirmed Wednesday when four …
Marc Fisher / Washington Post:
Gilchrest Unloads on Know-Nothing Pols and the Rest of Us — Wayne Gilchrest, the nine-term Republican congressman who represents Maryland's Eastern Shore and parts of Anne Arundel County, has had it, and he's ready to talk. — He's had it with his own party, which he says “has become more narrow …
Stephen Shankland / CNET News:
Obama releases iPhone recruiting, campaign tool — Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign launched an iPhone application on Thursday that turns the vaunted device into a political recruiting tool. — The most notable feature “organizes and prioritizes your contacts by key battleground states …
Dareh Gregorian / New York Post:
NOT ONE 'BUCK'LEY FOR YOU! — WILL'S WILL: GRANDSON, 8, DEAD TO ME — Before he died, William F. Buckley Jr. put his young grandson on the firing line. — The intellectual conservative icon - renowned for his erudition and use of uncommon words - excluded his son's illegitimate child …
Discussion:
Grasping Reality …
Washington Post:
Judge Could Dismiss Stevens's Indictment or Declare Mistrial — Prosecutors Wait Until Last Minute to Disclose Potentially Exculpatory Material — A federal judge this morning scolded lawyers prosecuting Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R) on ethics charges for waiting until the last minute …
KMyles / The Wichita NAACP Blog:
OH NO HE DIDN'T - The Mayor of Ark City performs in Blackface — Mel Kuhn, the Mayor of Arkansas City Kansas, won a beauty pageant fundraiser last weekend. Kuhn participated in the Men in Tights, drag queen contest that has become an annual fund raiser for CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Confronting Racism Against Obama — A pretty amazing speech by the AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka. To see a white union man take on racism this way is very moving. Something truly profound could happen in this election, if we want it to:
Discussion:
Political Machine
Bruce Ackerman / Los Angeles Times:
Abolish the vice presidency — The founders messed up. We should do away with the office. — Sarah Palin is the product of a design flaw — the unintended consequence of the founders' decision to create the vice presidency. — For two centuries, presidential nominees have used …
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Real Credibility Problems — EDIT: Please see also my follow-up post here. — Last week, I discussed Real Clear Politics' decision to exclude the Research 2000 daily tracking poll from their national averages. After a lengthy discussion with RCP founder John McIntyre, I decided to defend them …
Marc Ambinder:
So Why's Huck An Early '12 Frontrunner? — It's very early to assume that Obama wins, but if he does, expect the GOP to engage in a circular firing squad. Who's the frontrunner? — The betting money is on Mitt Romney for his governing experience, talented pool of political operatives …
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
New Obama Ad In South Stars Bluegrass Legend Saying Obama Is “A Good Man” — Now this is a good ad. A Virginia Democrats sends over a new radio spot that Obama is airing in the southern part of the state — it stars homegrown bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley vouching for Obama's values …
Alexander Burns / The Politico:
100 percent, absolute truth? — John McCain told the Des Moines Register this week that he always tells “100 percent absolute truth,” even in campaign ads. There's one big problem with that bold statement: it's just not true. — McCain has made a number of statements …