“This weekend, I will vote for the motion to proceed to bring that debate onto the Senate floor,” Nelson says. “The Senate should start trying to fix a health care system that costs too much and delivers too little for Nebraskans.”

Nelson has previously indicated that his vote for passage of a final bill is far from certain, but his announcement today removes one potential Democratic roadblock on the path to a final vote. TPM also reports that two other fence-sitting Demoratic senators, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, remain uncommitted on tomorrow’s vote but have hinted they intend to vote in favor of sending the bill to the floor to debate.

That prompted a litany: Specter “objected to President Bush’s wireless wiretapping,” provided the “key” vote on the stimulus bill, and saved Roe v. Wade by blocking Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Polite applause, no boos through out; the audience was bemused, many half-paying attention over open laptops.

Then came the questions. Would Specter support stronger climate change legislation? Yes, “I support climate change.” Would he support cloture on any Democratic bill? “A bill on cloture is a procedural vote” and “I would support Senator Reid” but he might filibuster an anti-gay bill, for example.

The questions on Specter’s party switch and alliances with Democrats weren’t that tough, and Specter parried them easily. “Oh, c’mon,” he said to a question about his cross-party friendships, “I’ve been talking to Ed Rendell forever. I’ve always talked to the other party.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael E. Arth challenged Florida’s top three leaders to a debate on Thursday night at the Democratic Club of the Southwest Volusia County meeting in Deltona. Not surprisingly none of them showed up, but the “debate” went on anyway. Arth’s entourage brought life-size, cutout figures of Governor Charlie Crist, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, and Attorney General Bill McCollum. Arth said, “Whether they are here or not doesn’t matter because they won’t debate the serious issues affecting Floridians.”

This New Urban Cowboy appears to have done wonders to rehabilitate his local “Cracktown.” But it looks like breaking into mainstream statewide politics is proving a tougher challenge.

“For those of you who are feeling giddy, or cocky, or think this is all set, I just have two words for you: New Hampshire,” said Sen. Barack Obama, speaking to a breakfast fund-raiser at the Metropolitan Club today. “I’ve been in these positions before when we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked.”

Then he referenced the hometown senator to hammer the point. “That’s another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me, so we want to make sure that we are closing strong, running through the tape,” said Obama, according to notes from a pool reporter.

Obama also cast the campaign homestretch as the dawn of a new era:

One of the things that I think we have to remember is that we are now 19 days, not from the end, but from the beginning. The amount of work that will be involved for the next president is going to be extraordinary…. What we want to do in these 19 days is show the same passion for Americans who are struggling out there, show the same dedication, show the same stick-to-it-ness, show the same steadiness that’s going to be required in guiding this country past some very difficult times.

Obama did not say much about the final debate; he simply quipped that he is “deeply saddened that after 26 debates, we have no more debates.” Many voters feel the same probably — though the debates clearly helped Obama address concerns about his candidacy and build on the lead he starting opening up in mid-September.

Sen. John McCain’s spirited performance on Wednesday night did not net him any victories in the network news polls. He finished the third debate without ever mentioning the “middle class” — an omission Obama’s aides emphasize – while McCain said “Ayers” six times and “ACORN” three times.

McCain did stress middle-class concerns, however, by repeatedly evaluating tax and health care costs for how they affect “Joe the Plumber,” the latest insta-celebrity in the reality show that is the 2008 campaign.

The most exciting moment for me was watching Triumph the Insult Comic Dog scare the bajeezus out of a Newsweek reporter in the media filing center.

The real star of the evening: Joe the Plumber. McCain found an exploitable middle-class archetype with which to hammer Sen. Barack Obama, and he ran with it.

And ironically, it was McCain who made the first reference — aside from Bob Schieffer’s passing mention in his introduction — to the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging more than 700 points Wednesday, during the closing remarks.

But enough of that. I have pictures from the Spin Room!

Enjoy:

John McCain hit hard and sometimes wildly, accusing Obama of links to terrorism, voter fraud and racially divisive politics.  It was the first time McCain played the Ayers card in a debate, of course, after Obama had taunted McCain for failing to level the charge to Obama’s “face.”

The entire offensive was muddled, however, by McCain’s umbrage.

Asked about his running mate’s false charge that Obama “palled around with terrorists,” McCain offered an indignant non-sequitur. He demanded that Obama condemn Rep. John Lewis’s criticism of incendiary rhetoric at GOP rallies, which McCain said was unfair because it likened his campaign to America’s segregation era.  “That, to me, was so hurtful,” he intoned.  Yet within minutes, McCain busied himself with the guilt-by-association attacks.

While McCain lurched from victim to aggressor, Obama calmly held his own.  He reiterated the history of his non-alliance with Bill Ayers, noted that the board they served on also included Republicans, and broadened the conversation to economic issues and changing the tone of politics – the familiar themes Obama has used to transcend smears throughout the general election.

The sharp exchanges that dominated the debate’s opening will make for spicy soundbites, but most of the night the candidates sparred over key domestic policies.  Obama touted his support for charter schools and parental responsibility in education, and drew a contrast with McCain’s “hatchet” approach to freezing all federal spending on domestic programs.  McCain repeatedly criticized Obama’s tax and health care policies, citing the cost to the “Joe Plumbers” out there – no relation to “Joe Six Pack -– and argued that his support for free trade would better renew the economy.

McCain also falsely stated that Joe the Plumber would pay a fine under Obama’s policies when health care is not provided to employees. In fact, Obama’s plan specifically provides an exemption from that fine for small businesses.  The issue has now arisen in two debates, as Obama noted in a rebuke to McCain.  “As I said in our last debate, and I’ll repeat John, I exempt small businesses from the requirement for large businesses that can afford to provide health care to their employees who are not doing it,” he said.

Ultimately, McCain’s alternating anger and umbrage never delivered the clichéd “game changer” that politicos said he needed.  He punched until he was punched out. Three debates down, both men were still standing, but after scoring more in every round, Obama had the win.

Richardson, who said he has now campaigned in 15 states for Obama, sounded plenty confident when handicapping the debate. “This is the debate where Obama clinches the deal with the American people,” he predicted. Richardson said he will be stumping for the Democratic ticket next week in New Mexico and Colorado.

Gov. Bill Richardson, shown here in Colorado, has been stumping for Obama at grass-roots events in more than a dozen states. (Credit: Obama Flickr.)

We spoke just before the debate began on Wednesday night, in a carnival tent at Hofstra University that was bursting with politicos, reporters and free swag from Anheuser-Busch, which is sponsoring the debate.  Richardson also chatted with Rep. Rahm Emanuel and CNN’s Ed Henry, swaping debate analysis.

The one-time presidential candidate joins a large chorus of “Obama Spinners” — that’s what the campaign literally calls them! — who will talk up Obama’s performance, no matter what, when the final debate ends.  Organizers cordoned off a large swath of the Hofstra gym for spinners from both campaigns.

Sen. John McCain (WDCpix)

A Straight Talk Express cleaning lady today sold several crumpled pages outlining Sen. John McCain’s script for tonight’s third and final presidential debate, which she had found stuck to a takeout pizza box on the floor, to an unnamed member of the media elite.

Anxious to do everything in his power to sabotage the Republican war hero’s campaign, the nattering nabob of negativity immediately turned over the documents to The Washington Independent.

Key excerpts:

- “Go after O. for having a bank account, linking him as crony of greedy Wall Street tycoons. Two-faced hypocrite should put all his $$$ in mattress like Cindy and me. In fact we have stuffed all 32 mattresses in our 10 homes with cash.”

- “Slip in — real casual — question: why hasn’t O. told truth about his 9/11 role? Was only six states away from one of the airplane hijackers in 2000 and did nothing.”"Complain to moderator that O. keeps looking at me during debates, giving “evil eye” notorious among certain tribes in Indonesia, where he grew up.”

- “Express outrage that O.’s tax plan fails to even mention relief for gypsies with 20 or more dependents earning less than $250,000 per year and filing from overseas.”

- “O. is not a maverick.”

- “Keep punching away at O.’s shady connection with fellow Chicagoan Al Capone. Only proof Capone is actually dead is one yellowing piece of paper — (don’t mention it’s his death certificate.)”

- “Repeat rumor that O. plays basketball like a girl.”

- “Challenge O. to prove wife Michelle wasn’t member of Manson Family.”

- “Announce discovery of dinosaur bones in basement of Toledo, Ohio, department store, proving earth is less than 100 years old. (Check with Sarah P’s team first.)”

- “Challenge O. to name all nine starting players on the 1945 Chicago Cubs World Series losers. Only pretends to be a sports fan to curry voter favor.”

- “Announce that veep nominee Sarah P. will be shot into space on a rocket as an accelerated way of getting to know the world and will see countries stay-at-home O. has never even bothered to visit.”

- “Take my pills right before debate starts.”

Bruce McCall, a humorist, is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. He is the author of “All Meat Looks Like South America: The World of Bruce McCall” and “Zany Afternoons.”

Climate expert Dan Weiss of the liberal think tank the Center for American Progress Action Fund wants to know the same thing TWI’s John Dougherty asked in his piece today: How can McCain say he’s such a friend of solar energy when his legislative votes show otherwise?

The nonpartisan group 1Sky, a coalition promoting federal action on climate change, wants to ask why the words “energy efficiency” have been absent from energy rhetoric, and what Obama and McCain would do to achieve energy conservation and create green jobs.

1Sky raises a good point with its question. While both candidates talk about alternative energy, clean coal and green jobs, neither mentions conservation goals, which largely conflict with industrial interests.

350.org is a nonpartisan organization with goals similar to 1Sky’s. Its co-coordinator, Jamie Henn, wants to ask if either Obama or McCain, as president, would attend the U.N. climate meetings scheduled in December in Poland. It’s an interesting question because while both candidates support legislative action on climate change, Obama’s plan seeks to meet greenhouse gas levels set by the U.N., while McCain’s doesn’t.

Finally, president of the nonpartisan Natural Resources and Defense Council, Frances Beinecke, wants to ask what Obama and McCain would do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by cars and trucks. This not only factors into the efficiency question but also raises questions about how to increase the number of electric cars on the road.

Will anyone step up tonight at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. to ask these questions?

Gov. Sarah Palin (Flickr: NewsHour)

Gov. Sarah Palin’s words in her debate tonight evening with Sen. Joseph Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, will be piped into America’s ears through GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain in a simultaneous translation. This was not meant to muzzle Palin’s spontaneous conversation, McCain asserted, but to prevent any Al Qaeda ventriloquists lurking in the auditorium from putting words in her mouth.

“I have more experience than anybody else on earth in counterterrorism,” McCain said, “and I know Gov. Palin has a unique vocal timbre easily imitated by terrorist mimics.” He announced that he has suspended a dentist appointment, a fact-finding trip to Guam and the annual Beer Distributors’ Ball in Phoenix to be in St. Louis — to protect the spunky, four-eyed Girl of the Frozen West.

“Gov. Palin will more than hold her own in tonight’s debate if I have anything to say about it,” McCain predicted, “and, obviously, I will. She’ll bring up what I call the Iraq Free-For-All and how Sen. Obama’s call for calm discussion plays right into the hands of the prime minister of Spain and other strongman tyrants. But let me make it clear that even if you hear my words and not hers, she is her own person.”

The perky Alaskan moose-butcher was busy trading walrus recipes with the Mrs. Dalai Lama, a McCain campaign spokesperson said, and unavailable for comment, but, in any case, McCain wasn’t finished.

“I have now decided, in the urgent interests of protecting our national security, to suspend my trip to St. Louis for tonight’s debate,” he then told a shocked press corps. “Now isn’t the time for a fair and free exchange of ideas by seekers of high office — which is why I invite Barack Obama to join me in rushing back and forth around the nation on chartered jets until something happens.”

Bruce McCall, a humorist, is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. He is the author of “All Meat Looks Like South America: The World of Bruce McCall” and “Zany Afternoons.”