As Jon Stewart asked Obama tonight on the Daily Show, “are we going to feel like buying a Sham-Wow after watching this?”

UPDATE: Apparently not too many people missed it — 21.7 percent of American households tuned in to watch the Barry O Variety Half-Hour…

Photo by Sen. Ted Stevens

Senator Ted Stevens, 84, was found guilty of corruption charges yesterday — seven felony counts!! At least when he commits to something, he really goes for it. Stevens is currently the first U.S. Senator to face criminal charges in 15 years for concealing financial disclosure statements for gifts from oil companies. Here’s what Stevens had to say about the verdict:

I am obviously disappointed in the verdict but not surprised given the repeated instances of prosecutorial misconduct in this case.  The prosecutors had to report themselves to the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility during the trial for ethical violations.  Exculpatory evidence was hidden from my lawyers.  A witness was kept from us and then sent back to Alaska.  The Government lawyers allowed evidence to be introduced that they knew was false.  I will fight this unjust verdict with every ounce of energy I have.

I am innocent.  This verdict is the result of the unconscionable manner in which the Justice Department lawyers conducted this trial.  I ask that Alaskans and my Senate colleagues stand with me as I pursue my rights.  I remain a candidate for the United States Senate.

So, Republicans running for office are trying to distance himself or herself as much as possible, from one of the most senior members of Congress. Presidential Candidate John McCain is calling for Stevens to step down. As Yael T. Abouhalkah from the Kansas City Star says, Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin has thrown Stevens under the bus. “The verdict shines a light on the corrupting influence of the big oil service company that was allowed to control too much of our state,” Palin said in a statement today. “That control was part of the culture of corruption I was elected to fight. And that fight must always move forward regardless of party or seniority or even past service.” You may remember that the Alaska Senator and the governor of the state have/had a solid relationship. She headed a 527 Group in 2003 to re-elect Ted.

Stevens is still running to be re-elected this November against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. According to a Real Clear Politics poll conducted earlier this month, Begich was up by half a percent. A Rassmussen poll conducted around the same time has Stevens up by one point. The results in this contentious race could be a cog in the wheel to get the Democrats to 60 seats in the Senate, a goal that would give likely President Barack Obama a mandate.

Photo by Transplanted Mountaineer

“With the challenges and crises we face right now, we cannot afford to divide this country by race or class or region; by who we are or what policies we support. There are no real parts of the country and fake parts of the country. There are no pro-America parts of the country and anti-America parts of the country. We all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, young, old, rich, poor, gay, straight, city-dwellers. Far dwellers. It doesn’t matter! We’re all together.”

-Barack Obama in Richmond, VA on Wednesday.

You may remember a little ditty from Sarah Palin charging quite the opposite… oy.

Photos by Transplanted Mountaineer and Victory NH

Not only did Barack Obama raise $150 million last month, but he has shattered campaign fundraising records left-and-right (pun intended). The old record? $66 million in a month. Obama has raised a total of $605 million, since he started his bid for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Where did all that money come from? 3.1 million supporters.

But what’s amazing is that the average contribution is $86, faaaar from the federally regulated contribution max of $2,300. The max-out was part of what hindered Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid; it’s also ironically effecting John McCain because he WROTE that bill! That’s one of his “Maverick” things, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Act. McCain is currently working off his $84 million allotment in public financing, which Obama decided to forego, obviously for good reason.

It just makes me wonder what’s going to happen to the money left over from the campaign. I’m sure there’s no way he can spend it all. Most campaigns contribute their left over dollars to other candidates and causes that ultimately support him, like Friends of Hillary gave money to orgs like the Democratic Senator Campaign Committee, and to various Congressional candidates who share similar ideals. He might also use some of that to help Clinton pay back her campaign debt, if she hasn’t already.

So Sarah Palin won’t answer any questions from reporters, but she’ll go on Saturday Night Live…

As usual, we saw that when she’s not unhinging her jaw, gobbling up the democratic process, and spitting it out in the form of hockey pucks and small towns, she’s actually charming…ish.

So here’s Sarah Palin in the cold open — seriously, I hope Tina Fey is on some sort of contract, because she’s been on almost every episode since the season started. They’re taking her away from finally bringing back 30 Rock!

And here she is again during Weekend Update. Again, she does very little, smartly.

In any case, where the hell is Barack Obama!? He was supposed to make an appearance in the first episode, and he has yet to do that.

Photos by Mike Baird and Marcn

The McCain campaign is pretty well known for looking desperate these days. In August he recruits a relatively unknown firecracker, Sarah Palin, whose job was to re-ignite the Republican base… yeah, turns out she’s a joke. Later, he suspends his campaign to “handle” the economic crisis on Capitol Hill… ends up looking, well, desperate. Then the whole Williams Ayers thing, which ends up making Obama look like he’s “paling around with terrorists.” (There’s that Palin charm again).

Now, he’s back, doing something he urged his fellow candidates not to do: going after spouses!

According to Talking Points Memo, the McCain campaign is now pointing out the fact that William Ayers’ wife, Bernadine Dohrn and former Weatherman, landed a gig at Sidley Austin LLP in 1984. Then, CLEARLY in a plot to take down the fabric of society, Michelle Obama started working at Sidley Austin!!!

Just to point out the ridiculousness of this attack (yes, that paragraph up there is the  entire attack), there are currently 500 people employed in Sidley Austin’s Chicago office alone. According to the almighty Wiki, there are 3,600 international employees, 1,800 lawyers, and the firm is the 9th largest in the world (5th largest in the United States) with roots going back to its 1866 founding.