Daily Round-up: Not Political Advertising as Usual

WBUR's senior media analyst says this year's ad campaigns by "527" advocacy groups are not quite political advertising as usual.

Meanwhile, Stephen Hayes of The Weekly Standard says the media is Barack Obama's not-so-secret weapon.

Speaking of media, both candidates have new political ads out today (via RealClearPolitics blog). Obama attacks McCain on healthcare.

McCain links Obama to the "corrupt Chicago political machine."

As Obama and John McCain meet in the first debate of the presidential campaign later this week, NPR's Steve Inskeep and Cokie Roberts look at how the huge Wall Street bailout is likely to play out in the political sphere.

Bloomberg's Albert Hunt says Obama, not McCain, is showing the steady hand as the financial markets implode. But Republican strategist Ed Rollins says both candidates are botching the response to the crisis.