larger version here.

[Hat tip to a Daily Kos diary that also has lots of video links and photos of Barack and Michelle Obama and detailed CBS poll analysis.]

Late Night music: If I never hear the word precondition again, I'll be just fine:

From the Big Lebowski soundtrack, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition:

I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's some early commentary on tonight's debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain:

• Focus Groups, Undecideds For Obama

• CBS News: Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama

• Halperin: Obama A- McCain B-

• Philadelphia Inquirer: McCain Uncertain - "McCain has been uncertain - Obama not."

More...

The debate transcript is here. What were your favorite parts? I'll add the clips to this thread.

Updates below.

CNN just conducted an Opinion Research telephone poll. Obama beat McCain by big margins:

• The debate: 52% to 38%
• Iraq: 52% to 47%
• Economy: 58% to 37%

Update: More than 60% of the CNN focus group in Ohio said Obama won. 64% said they thought he would be the next President.

Update: CBS poll finds more undecideds thought Obama won.

CNN just interviewed a McCain adviser named Nicole. She not only watched a different debate than the rest of us, she's deaf. She said Obama, whose tax cuts would apply to 95% of Americans, all who earn under $250k, would enact tax increases for the vast majority of Americans.

Once she said that, I just tuned her out.

It's the difference between spinning and outright lying. She lied.

Who won? I think Obama killed McCain on foreign policy. No one could watch that debate and have doubts about his ability to deal with these issues.

McCain represents the past. Obama looks like the future.

The Mississippi debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain begins at 9pm ET on CNN. They will probably stream it if you're not by a tv. Big Tent Democrat, the TL Kid and I will be live-blogging.

The live blog stays below the fold so that it can be a bit wider than the front page allows. Just click on the "There's More" button or bookmark the permalink to go directly to it.

You can comment same as always in the comment section below. You also can send us live messages through the software. Only comments you post below will appear on the site.

I'll be putting up some polls during it to see how you think the candidates and questioners are doing. [More...]

Big Tent Democrat and I will be back to live-blog the debate. The TL kid will be watching with me so he may join us, since he brings a younger perspective. He, like me, was a late comer to supporting Obama but he's a true Dem and firmly committed now.

In the meantime, here's an open thread. Predictions as to who will do better? Will we see any gaffes? Is it about issues or personalities?

My thoughts below. [More...]

Via Yglesias. CAP reviews the Wall Street bailout plan John McCain seems to be championing, or at least using it to put the kibosh on the Dodd/Frank/Dem Plan. CAP's Michael Ettinger writes:

The late-arriving proposal from a group of arch-conservative Congressional Republicans for dealing with the financial crisis is a disaster on two fronts. First, right now the credit markets worldwide are close to collapse . . . Congressional leaders were right in not passing the administration’s flawed bailout proposal precipitously, as the Center for American Progress discussed here.

More...

Now that the debate is on, I think we can consider the following factors that could and, imo, will, largely shape the perception of the debate.

The first is positive for Barack Obama - John McCain looked like a crass political operative with his ridiculous stunts. McCain is in a hole right now because his obvious political stunt blew up in his face. There is no deal and yet McCain will be at the debate. His mere appearance constitutes an obvious flip flop.

The second is positive for McCain. By plan or by sheer luck, McCain has utterly lowered the expectations for his performance tonight. He has been such a bumbler all week that the ability to stand up and not do a Chevy Chase doing a Gerald Ford imitation will be a small win for McCain.

More . . .

Murray Waas has a new article in the Atlantic on the infamous Ashcroft hospital visit during which the ailing Ashcroft was pressured to sign off on Bush's warrantless electronic surveillance plan. Murray says:

"According to people familiar with statements recently made by Gonzales to federal investigators, Gonzales is now saying that George Bush personally directed him to make that hospital visit. "

More...

Judging from the media reactions to Thursday's oral argument in former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio's insider trading case, held before 9 judges on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, Mr. Nacchio faces some sleepless nights ahead waiting for the final decision on whether he gets a new trial or goes directly to jail.

Rocky Mountain News reporter Jeff Smith, who has been writing on the case since the beginning and who attended yesterday's arguments reports it was all very technical and about "the rules." But the Judges seemed more interested in peppering Nacchio's lawyer with questions than it did the Government's counsel.

More....