What's it like to debate Sarah Palin? The Christian Science Monitor asks her former gubernatorial opponent Andrew Halcro, who faced off against Palin "more than two dozen times."

On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that [Democratic VP nominee Joe] Biden is up against.

"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.

While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured - because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.

Palin is a master of the nonanswer. She can turn a 60-second response to a query about her specific solutions to healthcare challenges into a folksy story about how she's met people on the campaign trail who face healthcare challenges. All without uttering a word about her public-policy solutions to healthcare challenges.

In one debate, a moderator asked the candidates to name a bill the legislature had recently passed that we didn't like. I named one. Democratic candidate Tony Knowles named one. But Sarah Palin instead used her allotted time to criticize the incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski. Asked to name a bill we did like, the same pattern emerged: Palin didn't name a bill.

Read the rest here.

"Continued inaction in the face of the gathering storm in our financial markets would be catastrophic for our economy and our families," says Obama, proposing an expansion of "federal deposit insurance for families and small businesses across America who have invested their money in our banks" in an effort to solidify support on Bailout, Take 2.

That is why today, I am proposing that we also raise the FDIC limit to $250,000 as part of the economic rescue package - a step that would boost small businesses, make our banking system more secure, and help restore public confidence in our financial system.

I will be talking to leaders and members of Congress later today to offer this idea and urge them to act without delay to pass a rescue plan," said Barack Obama.

Rescue plan. Not bailout. Got it?

Obama's entire statement is after the cut.

Here's a conversation I've found myself having quite often in the past few days: How the hell will Joe Biden handle his position at a podium opposite Sarah Palin? If he's his usual smart self, does that open him to criticism that he's being unfair to li'l ol' Sarah, she who has trouble concocting answers to basic questions, without resorting to the handful of soundbites her handlers have made her memorize? Or, if he dumbs it down, is he being condescending? Can he be critical of her at all, without coming across as a patronizing old white dude?

So many questions! My money's on him acting as diplomatic and statesman-like as he can, which will only draw attention to Palin indirectly, and allow Biden to duck any "patronizing" labels.

Find out how it goes down, this Thursday night. Despite more than doubling our capacity at Roots Organic Brewing last Friday, the place was still packed--so we've added a second venue! You can still join us at Roots (on SE 7th at Hawthorne), or snag your own comfy seat at the Clinton Street Theater (SE 26th and Clinton). The debate starts at 6, but seats were nearly gone by 5:30 last week. You've been warned.