John P. Avlon
Author, Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics

The McCain campaign’s latest round of attacks on Senator Obama’s association with Weather Underground founder Bill Ayers represents an unwelcome return to a constant distraction in American politics over the last 40 years – reigniting the culture debates of the 1960s

Jeff Biggers
Jeffbiggers.com
 
The Wall Street crisis notwithstanding, coal continues to embroil the presidential campaign into knots unlike any other issue in the swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Take a look at the backflips by both campaigns in the last several weeks:

Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

It is Debate Night in Nashville, the 2nd time John McCain and Barack Obama face-off. The debate will be a 90 minute ‘town hall’ style event, moderated by Tom Brokaw. The candidates will take questions from Brokaw, but they’ll also answer questions from uncommitted voters in the audience and Internet participants.

We’ll start posting comments to this blog at 10p ET and stop at 11p ET.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
 

Ouch! The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell as much as 800 points in trading today, but…

Susan Lisovicz | Bio
CNN Financial Correspondent
 
We all knew it was going to be a bad day. A trader was wearing a Dow 10,000 cap before the open. When those hats were passed out a decade ago during the long bull market, every day on the trading floor was like a cocktail party. Now you might as well wear a hard hat the way stocks are falling.

Steve Brusk
CNN Political Assignment Manager
 
Two moments from the John McCain rally in Albuquerque, and the Sarah Palin rally in Estero, FL that demonstrate some of the emotions on the trail this week.
 
In Albuquerque, CNN’s Tasha Diakides notes that as McCain said, “All people want to know is: What has this man ever actually accomplished in government? What does he plan for America?

Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent
 
As our own Jack Gray said in his blog today, it is another manic Monday…and that ain’t a good thing. I decided today it was time to suck it up and check my 401(k) – wow.

• Stop Re-Litigating the 1960s
• Candidates should come clean on coal
• Judgment, character and experience
• Like the Bangles said, it’s just another manic Monday

Raw Politics Video:
McCain, Obama prep for debate
in the final stretch  
Dow plunges

• For man shot in back, Justice too late in New Orleans
• What that box on your tax return is really for
• Internet drug sales crackdown

• O.J. Trial: Simpson got no last look
• O.J. Trial: Behind-the-scenes at court
• O.J. deliberations resume

• Then a funny thing happened…
• Hold on and don’t panic
• The mystery of freaky phobias

• Erica’s News Note: Market mania, and a rescue
• Erica’s news Note: On the menu
• Erica’s News Note: There’s a debate tonight

• 360 Webcast: Finances, Zagnuts, and bad birthday questions?
• Beauty shots take some work
• 360 Webcast: Baby names, blackberries, websites and recounts

• Morning Buzz: Showdown in Nashville
• Evening Buzz: Bailout, Not So Fast