Obama for president  —  Palin's rise captivates us but nation needs a steady hand  —  Alaska enters its 50th-anniversary year in the glow of an improbable and highly memorable event: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

PIT BULL TURNS ON MCMAVERICK  —  NOW PALIN'S BUCKING HER OWN TICKET  —  By CARL CAMPANILE in Mesilla, NM, and GINGER ADAMS OTIS in NY  —  Sarah Palin is the rogue elephant in the GOP war room.  —  The maverick mom is distancing herself from John McCain and blowing off the advice …

Ceding the Center  —  There are two major political parties in America, but there are at least three major political tendencies.  The first is orthodox liberalism, a belief in using government to maximize equality.  The second is free-market conservatism, the belief in limiting government to maximize freedom.

The Obama Temptation  —  I've been thinking this for a while so I might as well air it here.  I honestly never thought we'd see such a thing in our country - not yet anyway - but I sense what's occurring in this election is a recklessness and abandonment of rationality that has preceded …

Republican fears of historic Obama landslide unleash civil war for the future of the party  —  Senior Republicans believe that John McCain is doomed to a landslide defeat which will hand Barack Obama more political power than any president in a generation.  —  Aides to George W.Bush …

A Party Without Members?  —  Have you ever heard of a political party that has no members?  Ben Smith has, and he believes.  Based on a claim by New Party co-founder Joel Rogers that “we didn't really have members,” Smith seems to think he's disposed of the issue of Barack Obama's ties to the “dread New Party.”

McCain brushes off polls, says 'we're doing fine'  —  (CNN) — Despite his sagging poll numbers, Sen. John McCain said Sunday that he is “very happy with where we are” and very proud of his campaign.  —  “We're doing fine,” the Arizona senator said in an interview on NBC's “Meet the Press.”

Could McCain lose his home state?  —  Democrats are circulating a poll showing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) losing ground in his own state, an ominous sign for his beleaguered campaign as state after state turns blues.  —  Project New West, which aims to build the Democratic Party in the Intermountain West …

Obama Campaign Cuts Off Interviews With Florida TV Station  —  Barack Obama's campaign killed all interviews with a Florida TV station after Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, faced tough and critical questions from a reporter at the Orlando station, reported the Orlando Sentinel .

Campaign Finance Gets New Scrutiny  —  Obama's Take Raises Questions About Web  —  Sen. Barack Obama's record-breaking $150 million fundraising performance in September has for the first time prompted questions about whether presidential candidates should be permitted to collect huge sums …

Inside McCain Camp, a Mood of Gritty Determination  —  Only a few hundred people were on hand at the New Mexico state fairgrounds Saturday morning to hear Sen. John McCain's acknowledgment that “we're a few points down” in the polls and to cheer loudly when he bellowed, “We've got them right where we want them!”

The Next New Deal  —  The huge opportunities—and huge risks—of a possible Obama administration.  —  On a bright, brisk, fat-pumpkin morning in mid-October—the kind of morning you would call glorious were the economy not cratering, the financial system not imploding …

Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: Obama 49.4%, McCain 44.1%  —  McCain gains as race continues to tighten  —  UTICA, New York - Republican John McCain continues to gain on Democrat Barack Obama, reducing Obama's lead to 5.3 points with just over a week to go before Election Day …

U.S. considers sending special ops to Afghanistan  —  Despite recent setbacks, a large-scale influx of conventional forces is unlikely because of troop commitments in Iraq.  But special operations forces could narrowly target the most violent insurgent ba  —  Reporting from Washington …

McCain, GOP target Frank on taxes and spending  —  Barack Obama may be on top of the Democratic ticket, but John McCain and Republicans running for Congress are focusing their fire on Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).  —  McCain, the GOP presidential nominee, and other Republicans in recent days …