EXCLUSIVE: McCain lambastes Bush years  —  ‘We just let things get completely out of hand’  —  NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW:  —  ABOARD THE STRAIGHT TALK AIR — Sen. John McCain on Wednesday blasted President Bush for building a mountain of debt for future generations, failing to pay for expanding Medicare …

Palin In 2012: The Argument  —  There's a suspicion in some McCain loyalist precincts that Gov. Sarah Palin is beginning to play the Republican base against John McCain — McCain won't let her campaign in Michigan...McCain won't let her bring up Jeremiah Wright... McCain doesn't like her terrorist pal talks....

Greenspan Concedes to ‘Flaw’ in His Market Ideology  —  Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) — Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami” has engulfed financial markets and conceded that his free-market ideology shunning regulation was flawed.

Far-right Austrian leader sacked for revealing gay affair with Jörg Haider  —  The successor of the Austrian far-right leader Jörg Haider was dismissed yesterday after he revealed a “special” relationship “far beyond” friendship with his former mentor.

NYT'S UNFORGETTABLE HIRE: BONO  —  Like Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter before him, New York Times editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal sees something special in a certain teensy Gaelic man who refuses to remove his sunglasses.  That's right, the Timesman announced last night …

Gallup Daily: Obama Has Modest Lead Among Likely Voters  —  Size of margin four or six points depending on turnout assumptions  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows Barack Obama running ahead of John McCain among likely voters — 50% to 46% using the “traditional” …

Poll: Obama edges ahead of McCain in Montana  —  Eds: APNewsNow.  Will be led.  —  By MATT GOURAS Asscoiated Press Writer HELENA, Mont. (AP) A new poll shows that Democrat Barack Obama could be edging ahead of Republican John McCain in Montana.  —  Obama is at 44 percent and John …

WHO IS JOHN GALT?  —  We've previously noted the gusher of illegal campaign contributions flowing into the Obama campaign from contributors such as “Doodad Pro” and “Good Will.”  More recently, incidents have been reported in which people have seen credit card charges surface suggesting they donated to Barack Obama when they did not.

Finally, Someone Asked Her  —  We now know what Gov. Palin thinks about immigration, and the results are not good (h/t Auster): … Now, it was obvious, as McCain's running mate, she had to toe the McCain line.  But which McCain line?  After the campaign's near-death experience …

Ex-ACORN worker: ‘I paid the price’ for voter registration fraud  —  SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) — Clifton Mitchell helped register nearly 2,000 voters for the community group ACORN.  But not one of them actually existed.  —  “I regret it.  I paid the price for it,” he said.

Murtha's hold on House seat slips  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  Two veteran warriors battling to represent the 12th Congressional District appear locked in the closest race in the district in years.  —  Democratic Rep. John Murtha leads retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell by a little …

NRSC ad assumes Obama win  —  The underlying premise of this new ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee: Obama's going to win.  —  The ad, on behalf of Senator Elizabeth Dole, urges a vote against challenger Kay Hagan as the last bulwark against complete Democratic control:

Prop 8 a Toss-Up  —  A ‘yes’ vote on California Proposition 8 would amend the state's constitution to prohibit gay marriage.  A ‘no’ vote would maintain the constitution, which the California Supreme Court ruled in May provides equal protection for gay marriage.

Money & Business  —  Home > Money & Business > Capital Commerce > Would Obama, Dems Kill 401(k) Plans?  —  Would Obama, Dems Kill 401(k) Plans?  —  I hate to use the “S” word, but the American government would never do something as, well, socialist as seize private pension funds, right?

GOP Mailer discovered: Democrat has ‘radical homosexual’ agenda, will force Boy Scouts to accept gays  —  A new anti-gay offensive has been launched against Democratic North Carolina state senator and U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan.  Campaign literature produced by the North Carolina Republican Party …

With $605 million already, Obama asks only $10 more from each of us  —  Having hauled in a record $208,333 every hour of every day last month — $150 million in all — plus a few more unreported millions so far this month, Barack Obama is worried that he might come up short in the political money war …

The punditocracy's Seven Biggest Blunders of the 2008 election  —  Guess what?  The Conventional Wisdom has blown it again in handicapping Obama vs. McCain in the homestretch.  —  This has been a campaign season when the conventional wisdom has fared about as well as Bob Barr's prospects for moving into the Oval Office.

Jury reports ‘violent outbursts’ in Stevens case  —  The jury foreman in Sen. Ted Stevens's criminal case has asked Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to dismiss one juror because of her “violent outbursts,” temporarily delaying deliberations in the Alaska Republican's corruption case.

Hasselbeck to Campaign for Palin  —  ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: The McCain-Palin campaign's efforts to reach women is about to get a celebrity boost: Elisabeth Hasselbeck is set to join Gov. Sarah Palin on the campaign trail.  —  “The View” co-host said Thursday the McCain campaign contacted …

Rebranding the U.S. With Obama  —  The other day I had a conversation with a Beijing friend and I mentioned that Barack Obama was leading in the presidential race:  —  She: Obama? … [Long pause.]  —  She: Really? … We're beginning to get a sense of how Barack Obama's political success …

HIGH-SPEED RAIL IN CALIFORNIA?  —  Ezra mentions the various progressive outcomes possible from California ballot initiatives this year, including maintaining the legality of gay marriage and ensuring humane treatment of livestock.  But the truly awesome and under-the-radar California ballot initiative …

The Full Obama Interview  —  Q] I want to ask you some questions about the way you make decisions and then some questions about issues.  To me the signal decision of this election was the way you chose your vice-president and the way he chose his.  You are known for deliberation and being a rational decision-maker.

AM Polls Show Surprisingly Large Leads for Obama  —  New polling this morning from the Big Ten polling consortium and Quinnipiac University present a view of what the world might look like if Barack Obama wins in a landslide.  —  The Big Ten polls have Obama ahead by double digits in ten Midwestern states …

Gingrich: SNL's Palin skits are ‘slander’ ‘worthy of a lawsuit.’  —  Bashing the “elite” media as usual on Fox News last night, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claimed that Saturday Night Live's skits mocking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin were “vicious” and a “total distortion of who Governor Palin is.”

The history argument  —  Thank you all so much for the early voting stories, and if you early voted for McCain, please send in those stories as well.  (Between the enthusiasm gap and the blog reader demographic, these e-mails tilt disproportionately to Obama backers.)

GOING TO THE WELL A LITTLE TOO OFTEN.... It was the basis of a debate message.  And a stump speech.  And an ad campaign.  —  And now it's a tour. … Yes, that's right, John McCain is kicking off a “Joe the Plumber” tour.  Seriously.  —  This is terribly odd for a variety of reasons …