Bob Somerby on Josh Marshall.

I'll make this an Open Thread.

Cite to Somerby on Marshall endorsed solely by me.

Ted Stevens will return to the witness stand Monday as prosecutors continue their cross-examination. Although two senators testified for Stevens as character witnesses, a third has been in the audience lending his support: Larry Craig. You can understand why Craig wasn't asked to testify in support of Stevens' good character.

You can review trial coverage in these posts: 9/29, 10/2, 10/9, 10/14, 10/17. The New York Times has this preview of the trial's closing days.

Remember the last Presidential election year the Red Sox won the pennant? Dems lost. It is a real shame the Yanks lost. The last 2 times the Yanks won the Dems won the Presidential election (course the Supremes stole it from Gore in 2000.) And in 1932, the Yanks swept the Cubs. Another interesting factoid - when the Florida Gators win the national championship (1996 and 2006), the Dems win the election. Rooting for the Yanks and the Gators SHOULD be a Dem tradition.

This is an Open Thread.

One of our readers asked for an open thread to discuss the Sunday morning talk shows. Here it is. Open to all other topics, as well.

Citizen Cope, "Pablo Picasso"

This is an open thread.

I am against the clock on a brief so I won't be posting today. Hopefully, J and TChris will be along soon. In the meantime, here is an Open Thread.

CNN's post debate poll (video here): Those polled all watched the debate. The breakdown:

40% D, 30% R, Rest Independents.
This tracks with voter registration.

• Obama 58%
  McCain 31%

• Obama Favorables:
  Was 63, Now 66
  Unfavorables:
  Was 35, Now 33

• McCain's Favorables:
  Was 51, Now 49
  Unfavorables:
  Was 45, now 49

Update: CBS (video here): 53 -22. Obama. [More...]

The Alaska Legislature has concluded its TrooperGate investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin, but the investigation of the Palin-appointed Personnel Board, an investigation she requested, continues and is widening its focus to include other employees and other ethical complaints against Palin.

The [board's]investigator, Tim Petumenos, did not say who else is under scrutiny. But in two recent letters describing his inquiry, he cited the consolidation of complaints and the involvement of other officials as a reason for not going along with Palin's request to make the examination of her activities more public.

Two other ethics complaints involving Palin are known. One, by activist Andree McLeod, alleges that state hiring practices were circumvented for a Palin supporter. The case is not related to Monegan's firing. The other, by the Public Safety Employees Association, alleges that trooper Mike Wooten's personnel file was illegally breached by state officials.

Also today, the Anchorage Daily News excoriates Palin in an editorial for her inaccurate portrayal of the Legislative report in media interviews. Palin told the media she was cleared of any ethical wrongoing. The paper writes: [More...]

They predicted snow for Denver today but it's a gorgeous fall day so I'm going to take advantage of it.

For those of you online, here's an open thread.

If you've had your fill of politics this weekend, here's something heartwarming and completely different to read.

In the beginning, there was a boy, a girl and an apple. He was a teenager in a concentration camp in Nazi-controlled Germany. She was a bit younger, living free in the village, her family posing as Christians. Their eyes met through a barbed-wire fence and she wondered what she could do for this handsome young man.

She was carrying apples, and decided to throw one over the fence. He caught it and ran away toward the barracks. And so it began.

Herman and Roma Rosenblat celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this summer.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Ahem, how about them GATORS!!!

I am tied up for most of the rest of the day but I am sure TChris and J will be along soon. Enjoy your Sunday.

This is an Open Thread.

The Gators' season is on the line tonight as they host LSU. This is a must win game if their season is to be a success. Meanwhile, the world economy is on the line this weekend as the G-7 ministers meet in Washington. Krugman is not inspiring confidence with his take on the proceedings. Might be time to relearn these lines:

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob, . . . They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread? Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

It's the end of the World as we know it:

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only