In Fla., Palin Goes for the Rough Stuff as Audience Boos Obama  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gestures during a campaign speech on Oct. 6, 2008 in Clearwater, Fla. (Chris O'Meara/Associated Press)  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — “Okay, so Florida, you know that you're going to have to hang onto your hats …

CNN Poll: Obama advantage grows  —  Likely voters nationwide:  —  Obama: 53 percent  —  McCain: 45 percent  —  NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) - A new national poll suggests Barack Obama is widening his edge over John McCain in the race for the White House.

Our capacity for self-government  —  From twelve time zones away, it looks as if the United States is in one of those moments where the capacity to get serious and face big problems is sorely tested.  —  In the short term, a worldwide financial panic and crisis.

The missing SNL bailout skit — and the Soros connection  —  Over the weekend, I watched a hilarious, dead-on, and surprisingly honest skit on Saturday Night Live about the craptastic bailout and its Democrat roots.  The skit called out Fannie/Freddie and featured Nancy Pelosi dragging out various sob-story …

CBS Poll: Presidential Race Tightens  —  Survey Shows Obama Leading McCain 47 Percent To 43 Percent Among Registered Voters Nationwide Following V.P. Debate  —  (CBS) In a sign that the race for president has returned to about where it was before the first presidential debate …

Post-Debate: Palin Still Seen as Unqualified, a Bump for Biden  —  Continued Doubts About Financial Bailout  —  While last week's vice-presidential debate had a larger audience than any other in history, voters' impressions of Sarah Palin have changed little.

More Bogus Obama Donors Surface  —  Donations Made Between July and Early August  —  (CBS) CBS News Investigative Producer Laura Strickler wrote this story for CBSNews.com with additional reporting from Sarah Fitzpatrick and Ariel Bashi.  —  CBS News has learned that two donors …

Press kept under a watchful eye  —  CLEARWATER — Constantly under the watchful eyes of security, the media wasn't permitted to wander around inside Coachman Park to talk to Sarah Palin supporters.  When reporters tried to leave the designated press area and head toward the bleachers …

Health Care Destruction  —  Sarah Palin ended her debate performance last Thursday with a slightly garbled quote from Ronald Reagan about how, if we aren't vigilant, we'll end up “telling our children and our children's children” about the days when America was free.  It was a revealing choice.

U.S. Treasury's Kashkari to Lead Bank Bailout Office  —  Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. Treasury will name Neel Kashkari, assistant secretary at the department, to run the $700 billion Wall Street rescue program on an interim basis, according to a Treasury official.

Engaging on Keating  —  I'd always thought McCain's great strength in defending the Keating affair was that he'd acknolwedged making a huge mistake, and spent his career repenting by recasting himself as a reformer.  —  So when his campaign puts his lawyer on the line with reporters to contest …

Poll: 60% say depression ‘likely’  —  Poll finds 6 of 10 believe a depression is somewhat or very likely - seeing 25% unemployed and millions homeless and hungry.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Nearly six out of ten Americans believe another economic depression is likely, according to a poll released Monday.

McCain, Obama deal puts limits on “town hall” debate  —  WASHINGTON — Barack Obama and John McCain meet for a second debate Tuesday night with a “town hall” format, but a deal made between the camps limits the interaction the candidates will have with the undecided voters in the pool of questioners.

Obama offers best way out of economic disarray  —  From Hugh McColl Jr., former chairman and CEO of Bank of America:  —  In 49 years of living in Charlotte, I've seldom offered my opinion in writing and never submitted a piece such as this.  The condition of our country compels me.

FEC Queries McCain Campaign on ‘Excessive Contributions’  —  While the Republican Party is pushing the Federal Election Commission to investigate the possibility that Democrat Barack Obama collected excessive contributions, its own candidate is facing scrutiny on the same subject.