Gallup daily tracking poll: McCain 48%, Obama 43%.
To mark the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Obama and McCain have agreed not to run ads today; both men will appear in New York at a memorial ceremony. [McClatchy DC]
The media's in a tight spot with a fake controversy like that whipped up by John McCain over Barack Obama's "lipstick on a pig" comments: if you cover it, you fuel the fake controversy, but then again, you can't not cover the story that's dominating that day's politics. The real problem is that our culture is simply too tolerant of lies, Michael Kinsley says. At Time magazine, meanwhile, Jamie Poniewozik dissects the Republicans' media-savvy strategy: after a few back-and-forth exchanges in a tussle such as this one, "eventually the story becomes so complicated to sum up that people mainly remember the original accusation." The next stage after that is that National Public Radio — earnest, liberal National Public Radio! — will investigate what happens when you put real lipstick on a real pig.
Oh, and by the way: the refreshingly frank Meghan McCain says she's heard her father use the same phrase himself before.
The McCain/Palin crusade against "earmarks" — the system whereby lawmakers in Congress get funds directed to projects in their home states — isn't problematic solely because of Palin's history as an enthusiastic earmark fan. There's also the awkward truth that earmarks aren't all bad: they help build schools, hospitals, and facilities for children with special needs. [Slate]
Hillary Clinton might have been a better pick for vice-president than Joe Biden, says... Joe Biden. So far, this seems to have been classified as a gracious compliment, not a gaffe, despite the Drudge Report's best efforts. [Politico]
Yesterday, the governor of Alaska headed back to Alaska — where she sat for an interview with ABC News's Charlie Gibson, due to be broadcast tonight and tomorrow — so McCain held an event on his own. Sans Palin, it was all a bit of a flop: the chanting of a handful of Obama supporters was sufficient to force the campaign to cut it short. [Reuters]
