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- William Kristol, more a surrogate than an opinion columnist, advises the McCain campaign to "liberate" Sarah Palin in preparation for her debate with Joe Biden on Thursday, in order "to use her political talents and to communicate in her own voice." The McCain campaign is largely following this advice, intensively prepping Palin down in Sedona but encouraging her to give answers in her own words and avoid obvious talking points. Yet it's clear that McCain doesn't think it's fair for reporters to record comments made by his running mate in public, and, according to Howard Kurtz, reporters have been censoring themselves to avoid the impression of "piling on" the hapless veep candidate.
- With the bailout plan failing in the House today, the markets tanking, and Republicans whining their heads off about that meanie Pelosi, the question we have to ask ourselves, as a nation, is "what is John McCain going to do?" Delay Palin's debate so he can send her to Washington? Phone it in himself? Maybe continue the bizarre crusade against The New York Times? Continue to have no comment whatsoever? With the Maverick, you just never know (though he has allready blamed Democrats).
- Conservatives criticized Barack Obama over the weekend for bringing up his bracelet during Friday's foreign policy debate, apparently unwilling to acknowledge that it was McCain who opened the door to the off-topic discussion of which candidate military families love more. But it turns out the criticism -- that Obama had made reference to the bracelet against the wishes of the family of the fallen soldier -- is bogus, according to the mother of the soldier.
- It's pretty astonishing that so few newspapers have come out with official endorsements of either presidential candidate.
- Freedom's Watch, which boasting an essentially endless warchest courtesy of billionaire Sheldon Adelson, has been quietly targeting select ad markets. Chris Cillizza has the details.
- Danny Funderburk, mayor of Fort Hill, South Carolina, has a serious public policy question: Is Barack Obama the antichrist? We might also want to ask Sarah Palin whether she really believes humans and dinosaurs walked the earth together 6,000 years ago.
--Mori Dinauer