To the Point

Lehman Brothers is bankrupt; Merrill Lynch will be bought by the Bank of America.  With stocks plunging, Wall Street is watching to see what will happen next. Bush, Obama, McCain, Biden and Palin are all talking about limiting damage and preventing another financial catastrophe. Also, an update the disaster on the Gulf Coast.

The one untouchable topic in this year's presidential campaign is whether John McCain's naval record and his years as a POW in Vietnam are relevant to his qualifications as president. Did that suffering give him the moral courage required to stand up to presidential challenges or did the experience leave scars that could come back to haunt him? Also, Palin meets the press, Obama fights back, and Hurricane Ike has Galveston on the go. Judy Muller guest hosts.

After a seven-year war on terror and the creation of the Homeland Security Department, guest host Lawrence O'Donnell looks at the somber ceremony that observed the 2001 tragedy and considers whether we're safer now than we were before September 11? Also, the surprising life and heroic death of Reverend Michael

With less violence in Iraq, President Bush is pulling out some Marines but leaving in place almost 140,000 troops. The Secretary of Defense says we are at the endgame in Iraq, but the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs says we might not be winning in Afghanistan. Also, Lehman Brothers reports record losses, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has disappeared from public view. Lawrence O'Donnell guest hosts.

The Obama-Biden ticket got a bounce in the polls after the Democratic convention and the McCain-Palin ticket got a bigger bounce after the Republican convention. What are the polls telling us about the route to victory in the Electoral College? Also, President Bush will keep troop levels steady in Iraq through remainder of his term, and the sidelining of New England's Superman, Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady. Lawrence O'Donnell guest hosts.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the federal takeover of Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac was necessary because their failure would "affect the ability of Americans to get home loans and other consumer credit and business finance, and a failure would be harmful to economic growth and job creation." Was the Paulson plan necessary? Will it work? At what cost? Also, Can Sarah Palin transfer her huge popularity rating from Alaska to the lower 48?

John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin have used the convention spotlight to paint the GOP as the party most in sync with mainstream America. Can the party that's held the White House for eight years claim the mantle of change? Also, the jobless rate hits a new five-year high, and 12% to 15% of voters have yet to make up their minds. Which way will the Independents swing after these conventions? Judy Muller guest hosts.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin got a three-minute ovation last night even before she began talking. As she described herself and John McCain as mavericks willing to challenge their own party, Republican delegates continued to cheer, and relished her biting sarcasm in attacks on Barack Obama.

The Governor of Alaska has been under wraps and under intense preparation for tonight's address to the convention and the rest of the world. A former aide to President Bush says she'll either be "a wild success or a spectacular failure." We hear more of her path to the vice presidential nomination and about last night's speech by the Democrats' former nominee, Joe Lieberman. What are the themes of John McCain's convention? What about the economy? What about George W. Bush, who got eight minutes of the delegates' time?

The Republicans spent yesterday raising money for victims of Hurricane Gustav. Today, it's back to the business of nominating John McCain and his controversial ticket-mate, Sara Palin. We hear about her today, the transition of leadership from Bush to McCain and hear about protests outside the convention.  Also, Ron Paul just won't go away.