The Nielsen ratings for the second presidential debate Tuesday were up...almost as high as the ratings for the veep debate. Here's a clip of the first chunk of the debate, and the others are inside the blog.

Here are today's headlines in the presidential campaign from The Associated Press:

Biden says Palin’s criticism of Obama ties to ’60s radical an effort to inject fear into race

McCain, Palin plan to lay heavy criticism of Obama during three-state swing

McCain, Obama exchange jabs in second debate

McCain proposes $300 billion plan to buy up bad mortgages

Political links: Franklin Roosevelt, Princess Diana part of Sarah Palin family tree

To ready the stories behind these headlines, click here and scroll down.

COUNTDOWN
27 days until the election
21 days to apply by mail for an absentee ballot in Idaho
13 days until the deadline to register to vote in Washington by going to the county elections office
9 days until ballots are mailed in Washington
7 days until the next presidential debate
2 days to pre-register to vote in Idaho. (Election Day registration also available.)Click here for information.
1 day until the next Washington gubernatorial debate (7 p.m. Thursday on KSPS-TV)
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THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Prez/Veep
John McCain and Sarah Palin talk to voters in Bethlehem, Pa., and Strongville, Ohio.
Barack Obama campaigns in Indianapolis. Joe Biden stops in the Florida cities of Tampa and Fort Myers.
WA Gov
Dino Rossi attends the Washington Association of County Officials meeting in Spokane at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday at the Davenport Hotel, debates Thursday at 7 p.m. on KSPS-TV. Chris Gregoire debates on Channel 7 and attends a rally with N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Carpenter's Hall, 127 E. Augusta.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The guy Barack Obama is going to turn and ask opinion is me, not that guy.” — Joe Biden, speaking on CBS’ “The Early Show” about Obama’s association with William Ayers.
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STAT OF THE DAY
A record 8.6 million people registered to vote in battleground Pennsylvania in the 2008 presidential election, according to the Pennsylvania’s State Department. Last-minute registrations still have to be counted, but there are now almost 1,170,000 more Democrats than Republicans who are registered.

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