Thursday Linkage

Debate night!!

Iraqi Police: Bombs Kill 19 Near Shiite Mosques

Cannabis less harmful than drinking, smoking: report

Flirting with Palin earns Pakistani president a fatwa

NYT: Biden Relies on His Closest Adviser, His Sister
As Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. puzzles out the perfect tone to take with Gov. Sarah Palin in Thursday night’s debate, he is getting advice from a woman who has been an intimate since he was a grade school student with a stutter and a paper route.

Supreme Court upholds death penalty ban in the rape of a child

Rick Astley shortlisted for MTV award

McCain's Republican Enemies in His Home State

Washington Post: Skepticism of Palin Growing, Poll Finds
With the vice presidential candidates set to square off today in their only scheduled debate, public assessments of Sarah Palin's readiness have plummeted, and she may now be a drag on the Republican ticket among key voter groups, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.