Bob Herbert misses the point:

The problem with Ms. Palin’s candidacy is that John McCain might actually win this election, and then if something terrible happened, the country could be left with little more than an exclamation point as president.

(Emphasis supplied.) Excuse me Mr. Herbert, the real threat is that John McCain might be President. This strange fixation on Sarah Palin ignores the real problem - that John McCain would be President. This is the height of Palin Derangement Syndrome - the belief that the real threat from John McCain is that Sarah Palin might become Vice President. The real risk of John McCain's candidacy is that McCAIN might be President.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

In addition to putting John McCain off his game, the burgeoning financial crisis kept President Bush away from Republican fundraisers for the past couple of weeks. Although Bush's approval rate has dropped to a record low 22 percent, he can still generate money from his die-hard supporters.

Freed from the need to stay in Washington and lobby for bailout votes, Bush can now hit the fundraisers. And so he will, no matter how ironic they might be.

About 20 minutes after signing the bill, he was on his way to a fundraising swing that will take him to Missouri and Texas. His first stop: a St. Louis fundraiser for Rep. Kenny Hulshof, who is running for governor -- and voted against the legislation. Twice.

This afternoon's news dump includes the 2006 and 2007 tax returns of Sarah and Todd Palin, summarized on the McCain campaign website with links to copies of the returns.

For 2006, the Palins paid $11,944 (LINE 63) in total taxes on gross income of $127,869 (LINE 37), which is a 9.3% tax rate. For 2007, the Palins paid $24,738 (LINE 63) in total taxes on gross income of $166,080 (LINE 37), which is a 14.9% tax rate. ...

In 2007, Sarah and Todd Palin donated $2,500 to charity in cash/check donations and $825 in non-cash/check donations, for a total of $3,325. This is 1.5% of their adjusted gross income.

On July 25, the question was:

If this is McCain's notion of a respectful campaign, what will we see if he decides to get nasty?

Now we have the answer.

The McCain campaign has now shifted virtually 100 percent of his national ad spending into negative ads attacking Obama, a detailed breakdown of his ad buys reveals. By contrast, the Obama campaign is devoting less than half of his spending on ads attacking McCain. More than half of its spending is going to a spot that doesn't once mention his foe.

John McCain has consistently breached his promise to run a respectful campaign. Now the promise has been abandoned. Going negative is all he has left.

Today's Presidential Polls:

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Comedian Sarah Silverman has a new video, The Great Schlep, urging young Jewish voters to go to Florida and convince their grandparents to vote for Sen. Barack Obama. (Viewer discretion advised for profanity.)

The Great Schlep's website has these talking points contrasting Obama and Biden with McCain and Palin. Topics oovered: [More...]

A judge in Alaska yesterday denied a request by Republican lawmakers to dismiss the Alaska legislature's TrooperGate probe and find the legislature's investigation on grounds it is too partisan to proceed.

"It is legitimately within the scope of the legislature's investigatory power to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the termination [of] a public officer the legislature had previously confirmed," the judge wrote.

The report may be out October 10. The investigation is being conducted by an independent investigator.

As for Todd Palin and the other employees' subpoenas:

Michalski also threw out a lawsuit filed by Palin aides seeking to dismiss subpoenas compelling their testimony in the investigation. The aides had argued that the subpoenas should not have to be honored because they should not have been issued.

More....

Post-debate poll of uncommitted voters by CBS:

Forty-six percent of the uncommitted voters surveyed say Democrat Joe Biden won the debate, compared to 21 percent for Republican Sarah Palin. Thirty-three percent said it was a tie.

Eighteen percent of previously uncommitted percent say they are now committed to the Obama-Biden ticket. Ten percent say they are now committed to McCain-Palin. Seventy-one percent are still uncommitted.

As to whether Palin is qualified to take over as President if need be:

44 percent say the Alaska governor could be an effective president. Ninety-one percent said Biden could be effective as president, up from 66 percent before the debate.

In a CNN post-debate poll, 53% of those polled say while Gov. Sarah Palin exceeded their expecations in the debate tonight, they still believe Gov. Sarah Palin is unqualified to take over as President. Numbers below:

Biden pointing out that McCain's health care plan would tax our health care benefits and be a boon to the insurance companies:

[D]o you know how John McCain pays for his $5,000 tax credit you're going to get, a family will get?

He taxes as income every one of you out there, every one of you listening who has a health care plan through your employer. That's how he raises $3.6 trillion, on your -- taxing your health care benefit to give you a $5,000 plan, which his Web site points out will go straight to the insurance company.

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Sarah Palin does not own family issues. McCain does not represent change.

Look, I understand what it's like to be a single parent. When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it's like as a parent to wonder what it's like if your kid's going to make it.

I understand what it's like to sit around the kitchen table with a father who says, "I've got to leave, champ, because there's no jobs here. I got to head down to Wilmington. And when we get enough money, honey, we'll bring you down."

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Biden: Can I respond to that? Look, let's talk about the maverick John McCain is. And again I love him, he's been a maverick on some issues but he's been no maverick on things that a matter people's lives. He voted four out of five times for George Bush's budget which put us half a trillion in debt this year and over three trillion in debt since he got there. He has not been a maverick in providing healthcare for people.

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