The Inspector General's blistering 392 page report on the Bush Administration's firing of 9 U.S. Attorneys has been released. You can read it here (pdf.)

Attorney General Michael Mukasey announced he will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate and decide if criminal charges should be brought against former AG Alberto Gonzales.

“The report makes plain that, at a minimum, the process by which nine U.S. attorneys were removed in 2006 was haphazard, arbitrary and unprofessional, and the way in which the Justice Department handled those removals and the resulting public controversy was profoundly lacking,” Mr. Mukasey said in a statement. The report called for further investigation to determine whether prosecutable offenses were committed either in the firings or in subsequent testimony about them.

[More...]

Apparently, word reached the McCain campaign that Gov. Sarah Palin isn't making a good impression on the national stage. With only three days to go to her debate with Sen. Joe Biden, some major changes have been made.

More broadly, the McCain campaign aims to halt what it sees as a perceived decline in the crispness and precision of Gov. Palin's latest remarks as well as a fall in recent polls, according to several advisers and party officials.

First, she'll be leaving today for McCain's AZ ranch to prep. Second, at her husband's urging, since he believes part of her problem may be that she misses her family and her Alaska staffers, the family and a top aide will be flown to the ranch as well. Third, she will now be prepped by McCain campaign manager Rick Davis and senior adviser Steve Schmidt, as well as McCain's debate coach, Brett O'Donnell. [More...]

I have filled the page with my thoughts. I will be out for the rest of the day. J and Chris are sure to come along. But for now, it is your turn.

This is an Open Thread.

After today's bailout plan, Democrats must explicitly promise to help out distressed homeowners with a modern day HOLC. What was HOLC? I'll use the neutral part of the Wikipedia description:

The Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) or Home Owner's Refinancing Act, was a New Deal agency established in 1933 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its purpose was to refinance homes to prevent foreclosure. It was used to extend loans from shorter loans to fully amortized, longer term loans (typically 20-25 years). Through its work it granted long term mortgages to over a million people facing the loss of their homes. The HOLC stopped lending circa 1935, once all the available capital had been spent. HOLC was only applicable to nonfarm homes, worth less than $20,000. HOLC also assisted mortgage lenders by refinancing problematic loans and increasing the institutions liquidity. When the HOLC ended its operations and liquidated assets in 1951, HOLC turned a small profit.

Listen to Hillary Clinton on HOLC and the current crisis:

This bit of news made me ponder again the importance of having Paul Krugman as a NYTimes columnist and public intellectual. Maureen Dowd has been banned from the McCain campaign plane and frankly, I could not care less. Honestly, who even cares what Maureen Dowd writes about anything?

But for nearly 8 years now, Paul Krugman has been writing honestly, intelligently, oftentimes brilliantly, about the important issues of the day. His Cassandra calls on the housing bubble/crisis for years have of course, been vindicated, sadly for the country. But it is not just on that issue that Krugman has illuminated us. He has been the public intellectual who would tell the truth about the Bush Administration, long before anyone in any Media Establishment organ would (he was known as the "Shrill One" for many years.) The Obamabot favorite Andrew "Bell Curve" "Fifth Column" Sullivan would write contemptuously of Paul Krugman for years (often citing the dumbest man on the planet Donald Luskin for support.) Sully's apologies to Krugman should be continuous for years. Don't hold your breath.

So I take a moment to thank Paul Krugman for all his work these past 8 years. To me, his is the most important voice in the public debate. Those of us who believe in Democratic and progressive principles are lucky to have him.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

I have to give Mike Pence, the Republican representative from Indiana, credit. He is a man of principle. Of course, his principles are reckless and have been proven conclusively wrong. But he sticks to them. They are the principles of Republicanism. In his speech this morning on the TARP (Troubled Assets Recovery Plan) bailout plan, he argued for a no vote and in favor of the House Republican plan, the one John McCain championed - the one that argued for solving the mortgage/credit Wall Street crisis by lowering corporate taxes, loosening regulations and for the government doing less for Main Street. That is Republicanism in a nutshell. [More...]

To me, the key feature of the debate was that Barack Obama looked like a President and John McCain did not (I am not unaware of the irony of my assertion, given the fact Obama would be our first African American President. Nonetheless, I truly believe it.) A Bloomberg/LATimes poll (caveat, I am not a big fan of the LATimes poll) confirms my view:

One potentially important finding among these debate watchers is that while McCain retained his advantage on experience, voters said Obama seemed more presidential by a 46 percent to 33 percent margin. Among those uncertain about their vote -- those who are either undecided or declaring they may change preference -- Obama was more than 2-to-1 ahead of McCain on this question."The thing that helped Obama slightly is that he seemed more presidential," said Susan Pinkus, who conducts the poll. "He passed the presidential test."

(Emphasis supplied.) Here Pinkus demonstrates one of the reasons I do not care for her as a pollster/pundit. To say that it helps Obama "slightly" that he was viewed as more Presidential and "passed the Presidential test" is the understatement of this election. If Obama passes that test, he wins the election easily. McCain knows this. Obama knows this. Apparently Pinkus is the one person who does not.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The first poll of the day, the DKos/R2000 poll (9/26-28) shows Obama breaking this race open - Obama now leads by 9, 51-42. The two days of R2000 polling in since the debate have Obama +9 on Saturday and +11 on Sunday. Ras (9/26-28) has Obama up 5, 50-45. Gallup (9/25-27) has Obama up 8, 50-42, with a big Saturday post debate result. The last Hotline tracker (9/25-27) has Obama up 5, 47-42. For McCain supporters, there is one ray of hope in the polling, the strangely unmoving (in any direction) Battleground poll (9/22-25, 28) which has had McCain up 2 unvaryingly for a week, 48-46 (and up consistently for 2 weeks.) That seems impossible. No other poll has McCain even within 5 points of Obama. Either everyone else is wrong and Battleground is right and we are headed to a Dewey Defeats Truman situation, or Battleground is utterly wrong.

More...

The New York Times had a long feature article this week about women prison guards in New York.

Women make up 45 percent of about 9,300 uniformed employees of the department, according to the agency. From guards to wardens to the four-star chief, Carolyn Thomas, they fill almost every rank. And in many respects, they are changing the culture of the city’s jails.

Walk down the corridors of any of the city’s 11 active jails, and it is clear that not only are there a high number of female officers, but a majority of those women — 75 percent — are black, said Stephen Morello, a department spokesman. They are former soldiers, beauticians and bank tellers. They are single mothers who took the job to support their children.

It's hard to think of a more stressful (or from my point of view, sadder) job. [More...]

Rep. Paul Ryan, an "admired conservative" who in reality is getting by on his good looks, was against the bailout bill before he was for it. He expresses a view of the bailout upon which liberals and conservatives can all agree:

"It sucks."

So would the heralded economic collapse or the lesser catastrophes that are predicted by many in the absence of action. Having jammed a face-saving insurance program into the bill, key Republicans are showing reluctant support for its passage. House Minority Leader John Boehner is among them. Boehner recognizes that some Republicans who face tough reelection battles can't come on board, and that some will refuse on principle. He encouraged "every member of our conference – if their conscience will allow them to -- to support this bill." [emphasis added]

Predictions? Will Boehner and his buddies find enough loyal Republicans to get the bill passed? Will Democrats follow their leader?

Sarah Palin on science:

Soon after Sarah Palin was elected mayor of the foothill town of Wasilla, Alaska, she startled a local music teacher by insisting in casual conversation that men and dinosaurs coexisted on an Earth created 6,000 years ago -- about 65 million years after scientists say most dinosaurs became extinct -- the teacher said.

On how to teach science:

During an October 2006 debate in the Alaska governor's race, Palin urged that evolution and creationist ideas be taught together in state schools. "Don't be afraid of information and let kids debate both sides," she said.

On war: [more...]

Jerri! Happy Birthday to one of the toughest, sharpest and sweetest bloggers in the sphere! I miss you, being 2500 miles away in NYC. It was great to spend the DNC with you at your home where you showed me the ropes in that crazy world of blogging mania. You're an inspiration to so many of us women (and men). Thank you! I'll toast to you in New York tonight and I hope you have a fantastic fun evening you deserve. I love you and will call asap.

XXXXAnita