Fred Thompson's speech tonight at the Republican Convention will pitch John McCain as the steady leader ready to guide America -- and he'll take some none-too-subtle hits against Obama as a show-boater.

"When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives," Thompson will say, according to pre-released excerpts -- a possible reference to the GOP's false accusation that Obama has canceled visits with troops because he couldn't get any publicity out of it, and that he'd rather speak to big crowds in Europe.

"And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career," Thompson will say. "This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular."

Republican Convention Reconvening Today, Minus Rudy
The Republican National Convention will be meeting again today, with prime-time programming set to go ahead after yesterday's cancellation from Hurricane Gustav. But there have been some major changes: Rudy Giuliani has been bumped from the schedule completely, and will be replaced tonight by Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman.

Both Presidential Candidates Off The Trail
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain have any public events scheduled for today.

Biden In Florida Today
Joe Biden is campaigning today in Florida, with stops in Deerfield Beach and West Palm Beach. Biden's relative age and experience could go a long way in convincing voters here that Barack Obama is a safe choice for president.

McCain Adviser Touts Palin's Virtues In Wall St. Journal
McCain Adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer has penned an entertaining column in The Wall St. Journal today, arguing that Sarah Palin has the real experience necessary to be on the national ticket and that women have a chance to break the glass ceiling. For one thing, Pfotenhauer says Palin is "chief executive of the nation's largest state," which is only true by geographic size -- Alaska is one of the smallest states by population, and Palin has been chief executive of it for a very short period.

Intrade Taking Bets On Palin Pulling An Eagleton
Intrade.com is now offering a contract on the proposition that Sarah Palin will have to withdraw her vice-presidential candidacy before this election is over. As of this writing, the price is 18.0 and climbing.

Palin's Town Secured Massive Earmarks
The Washington Post profiles Sarah Palin's history of earmarks, finding that her town of Wasilla secured about $27 million worth of earmarks during her years as mayor -- quite impressive for a town of less than 8,000 people. It's a reality that goes heavily against her professed opposition to big spending from her big speech on Friday.

Poll: GOP Way Ahead In Open House Seat
A new SurveyUSA poll shows the GOP heavily favored to hold on to their open House seat in Alabama, which Dems have been making a major play for. The numbers: Republican state Rep. Jay Love 56%, versus Dem Montgomery Bobby Bright's 39%.