SPB News for Friday.

Top RNC Words: Taxes, Obama, Business, War

Poll: 57% Of Independents Give Palin Speech An "A"

Palin Accuses ‘Obama/Biden Democrats’ of Attacking Her Family, But Campaign Can't Name One — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin sent out a fundraising solicitation today that charged that “the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain.”

Palin raises $8 million — for Obama — Obama's coffers have been filling since Sarah Palin attacked him repeatedly in St. Paul last night. — An Obama aide confirms Drudge's report that Obama has raised about $8 million from more than 130,000 donors and is on pace to raise $10 million by the time McCain reaches the stage tonight.

RNC Picks Up $1 Million After Palin Speech

Westmoreland calls Obama ‘uppity’ — Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term “uppity” to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday. — Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside …

Gallup Daily: No Dent in Obama Lead So Far — Obama holds 7-point lead in latest results — PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama continues to hold a lead over John McCain, 49% to 42%, in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update. — The results are based on interviewing conducted Sept. 1-3.

Cheney rips Russia over Georgia

Man Who Wrote McCain Letter Explains Actions --Marc Ramsey Says He Was Concerned About His Viet Vet Father The man accused of sending a threatening letter to John McCain through McCain's Colorado headquarters office detailed the contents of his letter in an exclusive interview with 7NEWS Friday. Marc Ramsey, an inmate in the Arapahoe County Jail, admitted that he sent the letter. Ramsey told 7NEWS he wanted to tell McCain about his father -- a Vietnam war veteran who is served at the same time as McCain, and who is suffering from two types of cancer. On Friday afternoon, US Attorney Troy Eid announced Ramsey will be charged with knowingly threatening to harm or kill through the U.S. mail. The charge is punishable up to five years in federal prison and up to $250,000 fines.

Cheney colleague admits bribery in Halliburton oil deals A former colleague of the US Vice-President [sic], Dick Cheney, has pleaded guilty to funnelling millions of dollars in bribes to win lucrative contracts in Nigeria for Halliburton, during the period in the Nineties when Mr Cheney ran the giant oil and gas services company. Albert Stanley, who was appointed by Mr Cheney as chief executive of Halliburton's subsidiary KBR, admitted using a north London lawyer to channel payments to Nigerian officials as part of a bribery scheme that landed some $6bn of work in the country over a decade.

Judge says gov't must produce waterboarding memos A federal judge has ruled in New York that the government must either produce memos on waterboarding and other torture methods used by the CIA or explain why they should be kept secret. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein says the memos are "clearly responsive" to a lawsuit filed in 2003 by the ACLU and other civil rights groups seeking records on the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody overseas.

Petraeus: No Major Iraq Troop Drawdown in '08 --General to Recommend Reduction of Only 1,500 Marines for Now Gen. David Petraeus has recommended against any significant reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq before the end of the year, ABC News has learned. The only drawdown Betrayus has called for, according to a senior military official familiar with his recommendation, is a modest reduction of two Marine battalions, or about 1,500 Marines, a tiny fraction of the 146,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq.

Vladimir Putin picked as world's most influential person Vanity Fair has unveiled its annual list of the world's 100 most powerful and influential people, what the magazine calls "the New Establishment", and topping the table for the first time is Vladimir Putin, according to reports. Mr Putin remains de facto leader of the world's largest country after stepping down as president, a role he held for eight years, in May. The magazine notes he enjoys 80 percent approval ratings at home in part thanks to his revival of Russia's economy and his efforts to rebuild the nation's military, pride, and global standing.

McCain had criticized earmarks from Palin --Three times in recent years, the Arizona senator's lists of 'objectionable' pork spending have included earmarks requested by his new running mate. ...John McCain has been throwing darts at the special spending system known as earmarking, through which powerful members of Congress can deliver federal cash for pet projects back home with little or no public scrutiny. He's even gone so far as to publish "pork lists" detailing these financial favors. Three times in recent years, McCain's catalogs of "objectionable" spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time -- Sarah Palin.

U.S. Must Buy Assets to Prevent 'Tsunami,' Gross Says The U.S. government needs to start using more of its money to support markets to stem a burgeoning "financial tsunami," according to Bill Gross, manager of the world's biggest bond fund. Banks, securities firms and hedge funds are dumping assets, driving down prices of bonds, real estate, stocks and commodities, Gross, co-chief investment officer of Newport Beach, California-based Pacific Investment Management Co., said in commentary posted on the firm's Web site.