* Headline of Politico‘sVP debate preview makes me giggle. Plus: We watch for the crashes:

With all their potential for pitfalls and insta-classic moments, the pair has made the build up to the showdown, to take place here Thursday night at Washington University, feel more like a NASCAR race than a serious political forum: the audience may be tuning in as much in anticipation of cringe-inducing pile-ups as they are to watch the typical parry-and-thrust of debate.

* The Onion, on the other hand, makes me cringe.

* Financial bailout: U.S. Senate tries, tries again, this time with “higher tax breaks, FDIC limits,” reports the Washington Post: “The Senate last night easily approved a massive plan to shore up the U.S. financial system, but the measure faces a tougher test tomorrow in the House, where leaders will try to reverse the stunning defeat the legislation suffered earlier this week.”

* Some inside stuff: Atlanta Magazine‘s Steve Fennessy, a veteran of City Paper owner Creative Loafing, lends some valuable insight into the inner workings of CL and CEO Ben Eason, who Fennessy calls “a tireless networker with a love of jargon.” The piece details a history of the Eason empire and its plans for the future. I’ll say this: Despite the bankruptcy crunch, Creative Loafing employees and alums have been producing some great work about Creative Loafing lately.

* Catch up on Wonkette‘s gchat interview with “Washington’s Only Wasillan.” Spoiler: She’s a sarcastic liberal! She’s also boring enough to have to block during daytime hours to prevent that incessant gmail “ding” from disrupting your office banter. Pay $25 tonight to hang out with her at an Obama fundraiser at James Hoban’s, 1 Dupont Circle NW.

* And in this newspaper (still here!):

– Delaney, Greenwood, Janssen, and Wemple gang up on the Washington Nationals: Take my ticket, please!

– In Loose Lips: the Nats’ finances are fucked, too.

– Tricia Olszewski on Bill Maher‘s Religulous and teenage love adventure Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

– The debut of our new real estate column, Ruth Samuelson‘s Housing Complex.

Photo by Jeff Kubina