Oct. 5--------

A weekly roundup of what's happening on the campaign trail. We're going to point out good moments, bad moments and moments that make you shake your head. We'll probably tick off both sides, but so what?

HOT

John McCain: He must be feeling pretty warm. Otherwise, why would he pull out of Michigan -- which is shaped like a mitten?

COLD

Sarah Palin: Said Obama was "palling around with terrorists," in reference to his passing association with former Vietnam-era radical Bill Ayers. It's not exactly accurate, but it was cold-blooded.

WEAK

Flip-Floppers: Fifty-nine House members -- 26 Republicans and 33 Democrats -- changed their minds about the bailout bill between Monday and Friday. Bush and Paulson, and a bunch of others on each side of the aisle, are glad they did it -- the rest of us just want it to work.

BOLD

Hillary Clinton: Stepped in for Joe Biden, who is dealing with a family emergency, at a campaign speech and dropped a one-liner so good -- calling McCain a "mimic" -- we thought Palin said it.

| Greg Moore, gmoore@kcstar.com

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