In the Headlines

"Economic Crisis Dominates Debate" (Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post) - On a day when the stock market took another sharp plunge, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama clashed repeatedly here Tuesday night over the causes of the economic meltdown that has shaken the country and offered sharply contrasting prescriptions for how to restore stability.

"McCain struggles to derail Obama" (Carrie Brown and Bill Nichols, The Politico) - John McCain came here Tuesday hoping the second presidential debate would help him jar loose a campaign that for the past three weeks has been about the economy, the economy and the economy. He didn't get his wish.

"With Outlook Dim, Bernanke Says Fed May Act on Rates" (David Stout and Edmund Andrews, New York Times) - The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said on Tuesday that the turmoil in the financial markets had increased the risk to overall growth and that federal regulators would have to be vigilant to halt the slide.

"House Democrats Unveil Climate-Change Proposal" (Siobhan Hughes, Wall Street Journal) - A House Democratic plan for imposing mandatory reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions was unveiled Tuesday, setting the stage for a political battle that is expected to heat up next year when a new U.S. president takes office.

On the Morning Shows

Today - Tom Brokaw: "I think it's hard to say one guy won and it changed the whole course of the debate. This is still a long slog. I think both of them were behind the curve on the economic challenges."

Joe Biden: "I think [Obama] did a great job, I thought he clearly won the debate. I talked to him, he felt good."

On McCain referring to Obama as "that one": "For me -- I think when John knows he's on the attack, he never names you by name and looks you in the eye, it's not his style -- I don't read anything into it, just like last night he didn't look at Barack."

(Greg Bobrinskoy contributed to the Morning Report.)