LIGHTNING ROUND: DR. PHIL.

• John McCain said yesterday that he is open to the idea of bailing out mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without mentioning the price tag. Also, Michael Cohen observes that McCain's economic plan "does not name a single program they would get rid of" even while promising to "cut spending."
• It's the economy and you're stupid: McCain economic adviser Phil Gramm described the United States as a "nation of whiners" who are in a state of "mental recession." Gramm hasn't backed down from him comments but the McCain campaign has already distanced itself from him.
• In his Wall St. Journal column, Karl Rove claimed the Barack Obama campaign has "cribbed an awful lot from the Bush-Cheney playbooks of 2000 and 2004." Would that be "compassionate conservative" or "divide and conquer," Karl?
• Bloomberg has an informative profile of Mark Salter, John McCain's longtime confident.
• A USA Today/Gallup poll has Barack Obama beating John McCain nationally 48-42 and profiles the "six types of voters who will decide the election."
• Pew analyzes this year's voter turnout surge and concludes that it overwhelmingly helps Democrats, particularly Barack Obama.
• The McCain campaign boasted in a conference call today that it has, including the RNC's coffers, over $94 million cash on hand, and plans to spend over $200 million between now and the GOP convention.
• Rasmussen has John McCain up over Barack Obama by one point in North Dakota, 47-46.
• Finally, the GOP is turning to a Friday Night Smackdown pro wrestler to recruit St. Paul convention volunteers.

--Mori Dinauer