No joke — this ad appeared on the WSJ website this morning. But before you jump to conclusions, it obviously refers to the debate within the McCain campaign whether to forsake America in its time of need, or stay in Washington until the job gets done.

Guess who won.

Liveblog/open thread/pity party starts here at 8:40 p.m. Eastern.

Debate Is On [NYT]

McCain Wins Debate [WaPo]

The markets are about to crash.  Tonight’s debate might not happen.  McCain is revealed as a drama queen.  But, my former Cynics, look deep into your souls.  Ask yourselves – what is really, truly important at this dark hour?

Bible-thumping hypocritical pervert preachers of course.

Looks like Cocktober has come early:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Evangelist and convicted tax evader Tony Alamo says the age of consent is puberty and there’s a mandate in the Bible for girls marrying young.

“In the Bible it happened. But girls today, I don’t marry ’em if they want to at 14-15 years old,” Alamo said Saturday after federal agents raided his southwestern Arkansas compound and placed six girls into state custody. “We won’t do it, even though I believe it’s OK.”

But authorities don’t believe it’s OK — and now Alamo faces charges he transported children across state lines for sexual activities, in violation of the Mann Act. And so once again, the one-time rock promoter and street preacher that former President Clinton likened to “Roy Orbison on speed” will return to federal court.

I will leave it to you, gentle snowflakes, to rate this one in the comments.  Please use the usual 1-10 diaper rating system.  Plus, Alamo has a hearing today. I think this one is worth keeping an eye on.

Evangelist Alamo Faces Charges in Child Sex Probe [AP]

We thought this would be a clever allusion to the suspense surrounding tonight’s presidential debate. But then we thought it would really be a clever allusion to the suspense surrounding the bailout plan. Although it could also be a clever allusion to the suspense surrounding the first time Sarah Palin says something that cannot be factually disproven.

And then we realized: We’re actually living out a clever allusion to someone else’s reality.

And that’s when our face melted off.

Debate uncertainty keeps the political stakes high [LAT]

You know, nojo gave me posting privileges today, which I have attempted to not abuse. I ain’t running this show, and I have no designs on taking over nojo’s baby. But in searching for a WaMu story in Seattle, I came across this.

A Republican rebellion stalled government efforts Thursday to avoid economic meltdown, a chaotic turnaround that disrupted the choreography of an extraordinary White House meeting meant to show joint resolve from the president, the political parties and the presidential candidates. Instead, the summit broke up so bitterly that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson got on one knee before Democratic leaders in a theatrical attempt to salvage talks.

I don’t know what emotion to go with. Rage and fury are two that come to mind. But, in light of my prolific posting tonight, I’m going to go with stunned silence. With that: good night.

[Addendum, again: nojo, in the WaMu thread, found this too. It’s as if we both heard this giant rip in the cosmic plane at the same time and reacted in the same way.]

So that speculation play you made by buying up tons of WaMu stock in the past couple of weeks?  You might want to sit down for this:

Washington Mutual was closed by the U.S. government in by far the largest failure of a U.S. bank, and its banking assets were sold to JPMorgan Chase for $1.9 billion.

The rescue marks a historic step to clean up a U.S. financial system littered with toxic mortgage debt.

Washington Mutual, the largest U.S. savings and loan, was closed by the federal Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp was named receiver. Customers should expect business as usual on Friday, the FDIC said.

Yes. Business as usual, except for the riots at WaMu branches tomorrow morning.

Of course: the FDIC is going to be on this mother, and everybody’s deposits will be safeish. But you remember what happened at Indymac branches? Amateur hour.

[Addendum: from the FDIC press release: “For all depositors and other customers of Washington Mutual Bank, this is simply a combination of two banks,” said FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. “For bank customers, it will be a seamless transition. There will be no interruption in services and bank customers should expect business as usual come Friday morning.” No word on whether Ms. Bair said this while in a fetal crouch.]

You betcha!

The latest communique from the next Vice President of the United States (h/t Sully):

That’s why I say I, like every American I’m speaking with, we’re ill about this position that we have been put in. Where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh, it’s got to be about job creation, too. Shoring up our economy, and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade — we have got to see trade as opportunity, not as, uh, competitive, um, scary thing, but one in five jobs created in the trade sector today. We’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation.

Christ.

Look: it would be entirely too obvious to reference Miss South Carolina’s message of hope to U.S. Americans. So follow me under the fold to a competition that Sarah Palin can actually win. Marge Gunderson takes on Tailbunny in a cage match.

Read more »

I was going to post this photo at CP two days ago when I took it, but the site was hosed. What you see is the side of the Waldorf Astoria — Chinese president Hu Jintao got out of his limo, shook a bunch of carefully-vetted Chinese hands, and then bounded across Park Avenue to shake some more hands. Everyone had a little Chinese flag.