1.  Liberal media bias is worst this election, conservatives say.   An online poll at ConservativeHQ.com asked, "How would you rate the mainstream media coverage of Sarah Palin?"  The results were:

5%      Highly favorable
4%      Moderately favorable
11%    Mixed
23%    Unfavorable but no worse than the media's coverage of any conservative
57%    The most biased, unfair coverage I've ever witnessed

ConservataiveHQ.com is also sponsoring a petition at http://conservativehq.com/active-petitions/petition-to-treat-palin-fairly/ demanding the media to treat Governor Palin fairly.

2.  McCain praises Obama.  At his campaign rallies, John McCain has praised Barack Obama.

"I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments," McCain said at one rally.  "He's a decent, family man."  At another rally, McCain said Obama is a "person that you do not have to be scared of as President of the United States."

McCain was loudly booed by his supporters both times.

Sarah Palin said more than one person has whispered in her ear that John McCain needs "to take the gloves off" in his campaign against Obama.

3.  McCain strategist:  "We have ‘em just where we want ‘em in this race."  Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist for John McCain campaign, said the campaign is "well within striking distance" of victory.

"We feel good about the possibilities of winning the race," he said.

Schmidt said McCain had a good chance to win Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia.  He added that McCain has a history of closing strongly in all his campaigns.

Recent polls have verified McCain leads in all of those states.

4.  Senate race tightens in Kentucky after McConnell votes for bailout.  Polls showed Senator Mitch McConnell's lead over Democrat Bruce Lunsford shrunk significantly after the Senate Minority Leader voted for the financial rescue proposal favored by President Bush and Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson.

McConnell worked for passage of the legislation that provided for a $700 billion Wall Street bailout, plus $108 billion in "sweeteners," including pork barrel spending projects.

Lunsford and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) have run television commercial that criticize McConnell for his bailout vote.

McConnell responded with a TV ad pointing out that the chairman of DSCC, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), also voted for the Wall Street bailout.