NEW KCCI Poll: Clear Presidential Frontrunner Emerges  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — An exclusive KCCI poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama widening his lead here in Iowa.  —  The new poll interviewed 600 Iowans on Monday and Tuesday who regularly vote in elections for opinion on the upcoming presidential election.

Palin, Biden Trade Views On Abortion  —  CBS Evening News: Biden And Palin Answer Katie Couric's Vice-Presidential Questions … Katie Couric: Why do you think Roe v. Wade was a good decision?  —  Joe Biden: Because it's as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours.

Couric vs. Palin, round 17  —  Score another one to Couric, with that much-awaited Supreme Court question:

Controversy brews up around VP moderator  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Controversy swirled over vice presidential debate moderator Gwen Ifill one day before the face-off between Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden, after new scrutiny was drawn to her upcoming book featuring Barack Obama.

McCain's gay Q&A  —  ‘I hope gay and lesbian Americans will give full consideration to supporting me’  —  Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told the Blade in an exclusive written interview this week that he appreciates the Log Cabin Republicans' decision to endorse him …

Something just went wrong with McCain's face on national TV  —  UPDATE: There's now slow-motion video making it painfully clear that something is wrong.  —  In the post below, we showed a scene that just took place in which McCain was momentarily confused on stage, not knowing where to go.

McCain: I've turned to Palin for foreign policy advice many times in the past  —  On NPR this morning: … Yeah, right, Joe Biden doesn't hold a candle to the woman who's read most of the newspapers and magazines in the world.  And McCain has turned to her for sage foreign policy advice “many times in the past”?

The Twelve Tribes of American Politics in the '08 Election  —  Moral issues are dramatically less important this year than in previous years - even among the most religiously observant voters, according to the 2008 edition of the Twelve Tribes of American Politics.

CBS Poll: Obama Widens Lead Over McCain  —  CBS News Survey Shows Obama Opening Up Nine-Point Edge On Strength Of Debate Performance And Handling Of Financial Crisis  —  (CBS) Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama leads GOP rival John McCain 49 percent to 40 percent among registered voters in a new CBS News poll.

McCain's Kremlin Ties … Over the course of the presidential campaign, John McCain has repeatedly emphasized his willingness to stand up to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as proof that only he possesses the fortitude and judgment to become the next leader of the free world.

Senate bailout bill keeps growing  —  The Senate hopes to revive Treasury's $700 billion financial rescue plan Wednesday night by packaging it together with more than $100 billion in popular tax breaks as well as aid to rural schools important to House Republicans.