NYTimes:

House and Senate negotiators from both parties said Thursday that they had reached general agreement to move forward with the Bush administration’s proposed $700 billion rescue effort of the nation’s financial system.

One plan under consideration would release $250 billion immediately, with another $100 billion available at the discretion of the president. . . . They also said that there would be limits on pay packages for executives whose firms seek assistance from the government and a mechanism for the government to be given an equity stake in some firms so that taxpayers have a chance to profit if the companies prosper in the months and years ahead.

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Sam Stein:

Barack Obama is committed to hosting a public, televised event Friday night in Mississippi even if John McCain does not show up, an official close to the Obama campaign tells the Huffington Post. In McCain's absence, the Senator is willing to make the scheduled debate a townhall meeting, a one-on-one interview with NewsHour's Jim Lehrer, or the combination of the two, the official said.

I bet McCain shows up.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

For those following topics in addition to the economy, which BTD is doing a heroic job covering, here's some news of note:

• Guantanamo proseuctor quits. Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld believed he had evidence showing detainee did not commit charged crime, was precluded from sharing it.

• Military interrogator details new abuses in Iraq he believes were war crimes.

• Condoleeza Rice admits Bush officials held White House talks on CIA interrogations. Update: The Public Record has more.

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According to this AP story, the deal about to be struck between the Bush Administration and Congress will essentially be the Dodd/Dem plan:

President Bush is bringing presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain into negotiations on a $700 billion rescue of Wall Street as Democrats and Republicans near agreement on a bailout plan with more protections for taxpayers and new help for distressed homeowners.

. . . They're still wrangling over major elements, including how to phase in the eye-popping cost — a measure demanded by Democrats and some Republicans who want stronger congressional control over the bailout — without spooking markets. A plan to let the government take an ownership stake in troubled companies as part of the rescue, rather than just buying bad debt, also was under intense negotiation . . . With the administration's original proposal considered dead in Congress, House leaders said they were making progress toward revised legislation that could be approved.

(Emphasis supplied.) Good stuff, but one sticking point that I think creates an opportunity:

It's great to see Senator John McCain with his shoulder to the wheel on the Wall Street crisis by working hard in Washington in the tough negotiations in Congress lying about his regard for President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. He stood there and stated how much respect he had for President Clinton.

That's funny, because I remember when McCain did not have much respect for President Clinton at all: [More...]

The DKos/R2000 poll (9/22-24) has Obama up 6, 49-43. NBC/WSJ poll (9/19-22) has Obama by 2, 48-46. Fox/Opinion Dynamics (9/22-23) has Obama by 6, 45-39.

Gallup Tracker 9/21-23 has Obama by 3. Hotline 9/21-23 has Obama by 6, 48-42. LATimes/Bloomberg 9/19-22) has Obama by 4, 49-45.

ABC/WaPo 9/19-22) has Obama up 9, 52-43. CNN/Opinion Research 9/19-21 has Obama up 4, 51-47. [More...]

While Digby is infuriated by the blatant, shameless hypocrisy of Doris Kearns Goodwin, I personally am happy to see that she has decided to plagiarize some of us on the blogs and has decided to embrace the Politics of Contrast:

GOODWIN:[W]hat FDR did was to say this isn‘t just an election between two men. It is between two doctrines. He laid out the difference between the Republican and the Democratic party, one concerned about government favoring the few and the other one wanting the masses to be sound and that would help the country.

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This is a sink-or-swim moment for America. We cannot simply catch our breath. We've got to swim for the shores. We must address the conditions that set the stage for the turmoil unfolding on Wall Street, or we will find ourselves lurching from crisis to crisis. Just as Wall Street must once again look further than the quarterly report, our nation must as well.

- Senator Hillary Clinton

(Emphasis mine.) Looking past getting Wall Street through the next quarter, Senator Hillary Clinton presses her argument for a new HOLC:

Context:

• Associated Press: Palin Once Blessed to Be Free From Withcraft
• Max Blumenthal: The Witch Fighter Annoints Palin
• KagroX at Daily Kos: Preacher Problem

John McCain may want to think twice before running new ads about Rev. Wright. His campaign said this week Wright could come up during the last 43 days of the election. Undoubtedly, the Obama campaign will ignore them and refuse to fight back with the Palin preacher videos, saying saying it's all about the economy, but the media won't and voters will see them. [More...]

Another sign John McCain's Hail Mary pass to use Sarah Palin to save his failing campaign isn't working: Time Magazine/CNN's swing state polls released today. The states polled: Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Montana and West Virginia

[T]he new poll suggests that the appeal of McCain's running mate Sarah Palin may not be as much of a game changer as some believed a month ago. Obama has a double-digit lead among women in Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while he ties with McCain in Montana, and is ahead only 3 points in West Virginia.

More good news on the independent/moderate voters: [More...]

Via Huffington Post, Sen. John McCain canceled his taped appearance on Dave Letterman's show today as part of his announcement he was suspending his campaign, but instead went down the street to be interviewed by Katie Couric.