Via Kos, SUSA snap polled the McCain debate stunt:

The first debate between John McCain and Barack Obama is scheduled to take place in two days. Should the debate be held as scheduled? Should the debate be held, but the format changed to focus on the economy? Or, should the debate be postponed?

Hold as scheduled 50
Hold with focus on economy 36
Postpone 10

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John McCain has made a political gambit today, asking for a delay for the Friday night Presidential debate, saying he needs to be in Washington to do, no one knows what exactly. Obama is responding in a news conference as we speak.

He mentions his idea of a joint statement of principles with Senator McCain outlining where they stand on the Wall Street bailout, arguing that he and McCain seem to have some agreement on the issue. He lists the agreements, while something must be done, what is done must include the following principles - (1) Accountability; (2) Fairness to taxpayers, meaning they should get their money back; (3) mortgage relief for ordinary citizens, not just a bailout for Wall Street; and (4) no windfall for Wall Street executives and companies.

Asked about the Friday debate, Obama reminds that he initiated the joint statement. He states that McCain agreed but also called for a meeting in Washington, and possibly suspending the debates. Obama said he wanted to have the statement first. Then McCain went on TV, with no warning to Obama, calling for a delay of the debates. [More...]

as John McCain has proposed, why not have a discussion about the Wall Street credit/mortgage crisis instead? John McCain can discuss what he thinks is important about it and what we should do about it and Obama can do the same.

If they happen to agree on the issue, so much for the better. When the two people from which our next President will be chosen agree on a solution, then that will be the plan to follow, since one of them will have to live with it come next January 20.

Let's not run away from the issue Senator McCain, let's discuss it for the sake of the American People. Barack Obama should offer this change to John McCain, for the sake of the country.

Greg Sargent agrees with me: "Obama will make a public statement on this shortly -- it'll be interesting to see if Obama calls on McCain to do the debate on other terms. For instance, he could invite McCain to make the debate about the economy, rather than about national security."

(Emphasis supplied.)

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

There is an issue bubbling, at least in my threads, with people claiming to be Democrats telling me how great McCain is on the economy.

No true Democrat believes that. If you are a Republican, well, of course McCain's crazy economic policies will appeal to you. But not if you are a Democrat and claim to have been a Clinton supporter.

Now I have no patience for stupidity, so I suggest those people who want to claim to be Democrats and Hillary Clinton supporters but also claim that McCain is better on the economy not comment in my threads. Such a claim is simply untenable. You can't be a Dem and Hillary Clinton supporter on the economy and claim McCain is better on the economy than Obama. It makes no sense. I have no patience period, but absolutely no patience for that type of nonsense. Maybe J and Chris will accept it in their threads, I will not. Do not bring it there.

This is an Open Thread.

This is great news . . . for Obama:

President Bush might make a televised speech to pressure Congress to approve a $700 billion plan to bail out Wall Street, a White House spokeswoman said. President Bush may address the nation about the $700 billion bailout package as early as Wednesday night.

The president is trying to decide "whether, how or when" to address the nation, spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday. "The American people have questions and a lot of concerns and the president has been trying to answer them."

(Emphasis supplied.) Please, please, please, let it be true. I want to hear Bush "answer the concerns" of the American People about anything. Let's fire up the pictures of McCain with Bush. Bush could bury the Paulson plan and the McCain campaign all in one fell swoop.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

I posted on the WaPo poll that has Obama up 52-43. The trackers also have Obama ahead. Ras has Obama up 2, 49-47. Hotline has Obama up 6. Dkos/R2000 has Obama up 4. Ipsos/McClatchey has Obama up 1. CNN/Opinion Research has Obama up 4. Gallup has Obama by 3. Only Battleground has McCain up 2.

It seems safe to say that Obama has a solid lead and it is because of the economy.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

I think there is absolutely no doubt that Congress will act in some way to address the credit/mortgage crisis Wall Street now faces. The question is HOW do they act. Matt Yglesias writes about the false presentation of the options that proponents of the Paulson proposal are trying to force upon the country:

1. [D]o absolutely nothing in response to the current situation . . . 2. [W]e do exactly what Hank Paulson proposed over the weekend. . . . [P]roponents of the Paulson Plan have an obligation to either make the case for (2), or else to canvass some alternative ways of doing (1) and explain in clear terms why the Paulson Plan is superior to other alternatives. Merely citing the urgent need for action is a transparent effort to foreclose debate.

That transparent effort failed. The Paulson plan is dead imo. In the NYTimes, David Leonhardt writes:

The latest WaPo poll leaves no doubt - "it's the economy, stupid:"

Turmoil in the financial industry and growing pessimism about the economy have altered the shape of the presidential race, giving Democratic nominee Barack Obama the first clear lead of the general-election campaign over Republican John McCain, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News national poll.

. . . More voters trust Obama to deal with the economy, and he currently has a big edge as the candidate who is more in tune with the economic problems Americans now face. He also has a double-digit advantage on handling the current problems on Wall Street, and as a result, there has been a rise in his overall support. The poll found that, among likely voters, Obama now leads McCain by 52 percent to 43 percent. . . .

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Third party candidate Ralph Nader released this ad today showing similarities between McCain and Obama and then laying out his different positions. One big one: Nader is for "Across the board amnesty for all non-violent drug offenders."

Nader's time has passed, and I hope everyone will realize the choice between McCain and Obama is a choice between the failed Republican policies of the last 8 years and a chance to do things differently. I don't care to see either Bob Barr or Ralph Nader in the presidential debates.

That said...[More...]

42 FBI task forces around the country are investigating some of the top mortgage firms, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for fraud. AIG and Lehman Bros. are also subjects of the investigation.

The FBI says it has opened 36 investigations so far. As to what's under investigation:

Sources tell ABC News the investigations are looking into whether company officials systematically misled investors about the financial strength of their institutions.

FBI Director Robert Mueller testified about the investigations on Sept. 16 at a House Judiciary Committee meeting. One of the areas under investigation: whether the companies misstated their assets. From the transcript (available at Lexis.com)

Gov. Sarah Palin met with her first foreign leader today. Only one press member was allowed to attend -- and only for 29 seconds. Tomorrow she will meet with rock star Bono.

Joe Biden? [More...]

Troy Davis, who many believe is innocent and wrongly convicted, is hours away from execution in Georgia.