Ticket Notice: Sunday shows -- Davis, Axelrod and everyone breathing over at CNN

ABC's "This Week": David Axelrod (Obama's chief strategist -- see photo); Rick Davis (McCain campaign manager); roundtable with Mark Halperin of Time magazine, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, Republican strategist Matthew Dowd and George Will of ABC News.

CBS' "Face the Nation": David Axelrod (Obama chief strategist) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C./McCain supporter); Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y./chairman, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) and John Ensign (R-Nev./chairman, National Republican Senatorial Committee).

CNN's "Late Edition" (three-hour special, starting  at 10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT): Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa./Obama supporter) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa./McCain supporter);  Govs. Tim Kaine (D-Va./Obama supporter) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C./McCain supporter); Govs. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn./McCain supporter) and Deval Patrick (D-Mass./Obama supporter); GOP strategists Alex Castellanos and Leslie Sanchez and Democratic strategists Donna Brazile and James Carville; Candy Crowley, Campbell Brown and John King of CNN; Democratic strategist Paul Begala, former White House advisor David Gergen, CNN political analysts Bill Schneider and Gloria Borger, Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, GOP strategist Ed Rollins, Tara Wall of the Washington Times editorial page and Hilary Rosen of HuffingtonPost.com

"Fox News Sunday":  Rick Davis (McCain campaign manager); David Plouffe (Obama campaign manager); Karl Rove (GOP strategist); roundtable with Brit Hume of Fox News' Washington bureau, Mara Liasson and Juan Williams of NPR, and Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard.

NBC's "Meet the Press": Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass./Obama supporter); former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn./McCain supporter); roundtable with David Broder of the Washington Post, Michele Norris of NPR, and David Gregory and Chuck Todd of NBC News.

-- Leslie Hoffecker

To get notices sent straight to your cellphone on the posting of each new Ticket item, go here to register.

Photo credit: Associated Press

The debate's over: Here's what you'll hear now about Barack Obama

(UPDATE: A complete debate transcript is available here.)

All campaigns distribute confidential talking points to their surrogate speakers, lists of several things they want said over and over again on TV, online and in print to drive home the message of the day to viewers out there to turn them into supporters or keep them there.

All campaigns write these talking points at headquarters to ensure consistency.

But only one campaign today e-mailed those post-debate talking points out to the media -- by mistake.

Oops! Where's that UN-send button when you need it?

Someone at Barack Obama headquarters today sent out what the campaign wants its surrogates to say starting right this minute.

Flick your TV remote.

Look and listen for these points below. And, remember, these talking points were written before the debate.

"This is John McCain’s last chance to turn this race around and somehow convince the American people that his erratic response to this economic crisis doesn’t disqualify him from being President.

"Just this weekend, John McCain vowed to 'whip Obama’s you-know-what' at the debate, and he’s indicated that he’ll be bringing up Bill Ayers to try to distract voters.

"So we know that Senator McCain will come ready to attack Barack Obama and bring his dishonorable campaign tactics to the debate stage.

"Obama continues to lead on the economic crisis with a....

Now, a McCain debate warning: Watch for a contrast of his known bio with someone else's

NASHVILLE -- Look for Sen. John McCain to draw a personal contrast with freshman Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at tonight’s debate.

This, according to McCain confidant Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

McCain may segue into the realm of personal biography by saying, “When it comes between me and Sen Obama, you know me,’’ Graham said in an interview with The Times' Peter Nicholas here before the debate.

“One thing I want you to know about him is," Graham continued, as if he was McCain speaking, "when [Obama] started in politics he started in the left lane in Chicago. And Bill Ayers [the former 1960s radical and Weather Underground co-founder] was somebody well-known to the left. He was a guy who could get you started and he did. Did a fundraiser for him. Been sort of an associate in Sen. Obama’s political aspirations. And now he’s trying to deny those associations because most Americans wouldn’t feel comfortable having Bill Ayers jump-start your campaign.’’

This is the second advance warning from a campaign today. As The Ticket reported here a brief time ago, Obama's chief....

Obama strategist Axelrod warns John McCain on tonight's debate

NASHVILLE –- According to Barack Obama's chief political strategist, the freshman Illinois senator is prepared for his GOP rival to “take the gloves off” at tonight’s debate here, continuing the Republican's assault of recent days.

But David Axelrod says Obama will try to stay focused on the global economic crisis, not just any attacks by Sen. John McCain.

“We’re prepared for a very aggressive debate,” Axelrod told reporters aboard Obama’s plane today en route to Nashville from North Carolina.

Should the need arise, Axelrod said, taking off one glove as a preemptory warning himself, Obama will remind Americans during the debate here at Belmont University of the Arizona senator’s role in the “Keating 5” thrift scandal of the 1980s.

“The Keating case is pretty germane to the discussion we’re having right now,” Axelrod said. “The Keating issue was one....

Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney use the power of PACs to stump

The also-rans continue to run, thanks to the magic of political action committees.

Hillary Clinton is traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles today holding fundraisers on behalf of her party’s presidential nominee, Barack Obama. Mitt Romney was in Nevada last week and continues to travel the country often on behalf of his party’s nominee, John McCain.

No longer candidates, they're now surrogates. To pay their way, they're using money raised in $5,000 increments in their political action committees.

After spending $105 million, including $44.6 million of his own money, on a failed effort to capture the GOP presidential nomination, Romney created Free and Strong America, a political action committee to help McCain and other Republicans win on Nov. 4.

He has raised $1.56 million, spent $1.1 million and had $474,000 in the bank, according to the latest Federal Election Commission reports filed last month.

Clinton jump-started her HillPAC after she ended her presidential campaign in June. She raised $670,000 and spent $476,300 this summer, and ended August with $201,000 in the bank. Clinton spent $220 million on her losing campaign, not counting nearly $10 million in unpaid presidential campaign bills, plus $13.1 million she loaned her campaign.

Romney and Clinton each are relying on presidential campaign donors to pay for their latest undertakings. Romney is collecting $5,000 from friends from his investment days, as well as newer backers including cattle rancher and racehorse owner John Harris of Harris Ranch in Coalinga.

Clinton has received $5,000 from Hollywood figures including Cheryl Saban, Berry Gordy and Clarence Avant.

Also giving are wealthy San Franciscans including Susie Tomkins Buell, her husband Mark Buell and Walter Shorenstein, along with Brian Greenspun, a longtime Clinton friend who owns the Las Vegas Sun and is a board member of Tribune Co., which owns the Los Angeles Times.

In an interview today, Greenspun said he continues to give to Clinton because she is one of the most “able Americans and politicians in this country.” As such, he said, she does a better job than he could of deciding which candidates are worthy of support.

“I trust her and I trust her judgment, and if I could give her more money, I would,” he said.

-- Dan Morain

No, honest, Bill Clinton swears he's really for Obama -- and a female president someday

After weeks of diddling and dawdling doing the statesman-like work expected of ex-presidents combating hunger, disease and other bad things, Big Bill Clinton finally hit the campaign trail Wednesday on behalf of the rookie who denied Hillary Clinton her rightful place back in the White House.

As The Ticket noted in an item last night with details from The Times' Faye Fiore, B. Clinton was down in Florida where Barack Obama is making a real race of it with John McCain, who is around the age of so many of the Sunshine State's retirees. Clinton is good at what he does, talk. As The Ticket reported earlier this week.

But we've got another version of Clinton's first event now from the Swamp, along with a speech transcript.

There Clinton was in sunny Orlando, speaking for the freshman Illinois senator but also for Clinton's own legacy, which many feel he tarnished with intra-party bitterness on behalf of his wife during the rugged Democratic primary season.

Remember that video with Clinton asking, When's the last time we elected a president with so little experience?

Not surprisingly, as Sen. Clinton argued so often in the primaries but still lost, B. Clinton was pointing out his belief that Americans were so much better off under his administration than the succeeding Republican. Presumably, things would go back to better with another Democrat like Obama because Clinton isn't running.

After ticking off a list of current financial woes afflicting average Americans, including rising credit card debt and home foreclosures, the former president said:

"Look at the mess we have in our financial system. Compare this to what happened before. It wasn't like this, this is not accidental, folks. You know, where I grew up in Arkansas we had a saying that if you find a turtle on a fence post, chances are it didn't get there by accident. It did not have to be this way. It matters who the president is. It matters what the decisions are. It matters what the policies are."

Yada. Yada. Lots of economics.

Then he got to the point of why the Obama campaign is paying for this trip:

"Here's why you ought to be for Barack Obama. Number one, he's got the right philosophy. He knows you have to grow an economy from the ground up, not from the top down. Number two, he's got better answers. Better answers for the economy, for energy, for healthcare, for education. He knows what it will take to get this country back on track.

"I have carefully read everything these candidates put out. And I'm telling you it matters. Because the history is this, notwithstanding what people think about us politicians, the truth is virtually every person elected as president does his, and someday I hope her, very best to keep the commitments made in the campaign."

Gee, The Ticket wonders which "her" Clinton has in mind. Maybe Sarah Palin?

The ex-president said a lot more. But you get the gist. And we've published a transcript here viewable by clicking on the "Read more" line below. Our blogging buddy Frank James has a speech report over there at the Swamp.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Still time to register at Twitter here to get instant alerts of all new Ticket items flashed straight to your cell.

Photo credit: John Raoux / Associated Press

Ticket Notice: Sunday shows -- Paulson, Paulson, Paulson and Paulson

ABC This Week: Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.; Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio); round table with ABC News consultant Donna Brazile and Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts and George Will of ABC News.

CBS Face the Nation: Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.; Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee; and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

CNN Late Edition: John McCain's economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin; CNN's Gloria Borger, Ed Henry and Bill Schneider; Republican strategists Alex Castellanos and Leslie Sanchez; and Democratic strategists Hilary Rosen and James Carville.

Fox News Sunday: Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.; Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Senate GOP whip and member of the Senate Finance Committee; and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

NBC Meet the Press: Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; round table on the economy with Steve Pearlstein of the Washington Post and CNBC's Steve Liesman, Erin Burnett and John Harwood.

-- Leslie Hoffecker

Photo credit: J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

Ticket Notice: Sunday shows -- Surrogate city for McCain, Obama

ABC This Week: Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina (McCain supporter); Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo./Obama supporter) and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

CBS Face the Nation: Obama supporters Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and McCain supporters Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas) and former Gov. Jane Swift of Massachusetts.

CNN Late Edition: Hurricane Ike: FEMA Administrator David Paulison. Campaign '08: Govs. Tim Pawlenty: (R-Minn./McCain supporter) and Bill Richardson (D-N.M./Obama supporter); Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif./Obama supporter) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn./McCain supporter); Linda Douglass (Obama campaign advisor) and Nancy Pfotenhauer (McCain economic advisor); Democratic strategists Hilary Rosen and Donna Brazile and GOP strategist Alex Castellanos and conservative columnist Tara Wall (Washington Times).

Fox News Sunday: Former Gov. Tony Knowles of Alaska (Democrat) and current Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (Republican); Fox News political analyst Karl Rove; Jim Laychak, head of the Pentagon Memorial Fund.

NBC Meet the Press: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (McCain supporter) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y./Obama supporter); author Bob Woodward ("The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008"); NBC News political director Chuck Todd.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Associated Press

Fox News surges into ratings lead over GOP coverage competition

After CNN dominated coverage of the Democratic National Convention last week, Fox News regained the upper hand Tuesday night when the Republicans took the stage, drawing a bigger audience than any of its broadcast or cable news competitors.

Fox News attracted an average of 6.18 million viewers during the 7 p.m. PDT hour when Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman addressed the GOP gathering in St. Paul. NBC placed second with 4.47 million viewers, followed by CNN with 3.22 million, beating out ABC, CBS and MSNBC.

This marks the second such victory for Fox News.

-- Matea Gold

(The rest of the ever-reliable Matea Gold's story is over on our Show Tracker blog.)

Photo credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Hillary Clinton gives 'Judas' Richardson a hug or a shrug

It was, if memory and The Ticket's search function serves, back in March that big Bill Richardson, the goateed governor of New Mexico who'd built his impressive resume largely on important assignments for the Clintons, dramatically turned his back on them and endorsed their chief rival, Sen. Barack Obama, for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Former Clinton strategist and outrageous talk-show guest James Carville likened Richardson's well-timed shift in allegiance to a historic act of betrayal that occurred many, many election cycles ago and helped create Easter. Bill Clinton was reportedly livid over Richardson's switcheroo.

Well, today on the very same stage in Espanola, New Mexico, there stood the defeated Democratic senator from New York, Hillary Clinton, dutifully campaigning as promised for Obama. And right there too was Richardson.

Clinton said all the right things all right. She smiled. She waved. She thanked her longtime friend Richardson, albeit simply for "being here today."

But some Clinton supporters may detect a different message in the body language of the aborted hug between Richardson, who started to put both his arms around his former friend, and Hillary Clinton who seemed to pull back.

We're going to call it a pushug, an embrace that looks like a hug for appearance's sake but carries no intimacy or friendship whatsoever.

You can judge for yourself on this local news video here.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo (top): Alex Brandon / Associated Press; screen grab: KOAT.com