Clinton Bloc Becomes the Prize for Election Day  —  Now that a would-be first female president is ending her quest for the White House, the race is more about women than ever before.  —  With Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's ending her campaign for the Democratic nomination …

Dark day on Wall Street  —  The Dow's 395-point drubbing is its biggest one-day point loss in 15 months, after crude prices' largest one-day advance ever and a poor jobs report.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks tanked Friday, with the Dow industrials shedding 395 points …

Voting for Commander in Chief  —  There can only be one.  —  It would be hard to design a better test for the job of commander in chief than the real-life test senators John McCain and Barack Obama have undergone in the last two years.  As the situation in Iraq deteriorated during 2006 …

The Sleazy GOP Attack Machine Kicks Into High Gear: Welcome to “F**K Whitey” and “RadicalVille”  —  It's only been three days since Sen. Barack Obama historically won the Democratic nomination for president of the United States.  But the Republican venom against the candidate and his wife Michelle is starting to spew.

Nelson bill would abolish Electoral College  —  Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College on Friday, less than a week after the Democrats settled on how to handle delegates from Florida at their national convention.

Jim McKay, Olympics and ABC announcer, dies at age 86  —  Jim McKay, 86, a longtime television sports journalist, has died of natural causes in Maryland, according to a statement from the McKay family.  —  McKay is best known for hosting “ABC's Wide World of Sports” and 12 Olympic Games.

David Broder: Embodiment of Beltway values  —  David Broder, Washington Post chat, yesterday: … David Broder, Washington Post chat, September 15, 2006: … No matter how many times one sees it, it will never cease to amaze that the exact same media mavens who righteously strutted around demanding …

Team McCain Offers Their Outlook on the General Election  —  Several senior staff members of the McCain campaign, including campaign manager Rick Davis, held a briefing for a handful of campaign correspondents today.  —  Finances: In the past 60 days, the McCain campaign's finances …

McCain Adviser Holtz-Eakin Ludicrously Asserts Obama Would Be A Third Bush Term  —  Our guest bloggers are Center for American Progress Action Fund fellows James Kvaal and Robert Gordon.  —  Apparently the McCain campaign is feeling the sting of comparisons to George Bush.

Alberto Gonzales to Help ‘Special Master’ on Check Patent Case  —  Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who was forced from his job amid a controversy over the firings of federal prosecutors, has been hired to provide assistance to a special master on a patent case.

City's Top Crane Inspector Is Arrested  —  The city's chief crane inspector was arrested on Friday and charged with taking bribes to approve cranes under his review and for taking money from crane operators who sought to ensure that they would pass the required licensing exam, an official involved in the case said.