THE WEEK THAT WAS

by MONITOR
IT took three votes of the US Senate and House of Representatives before President Bush's proposals for bailing-out America's banking system were approved. Despite pleas from the President about the urgency of solving the crisis, many members of the House, especially Republicans, claimed that their constituents were hostile to the proposals. In the US presidential election Democrat Barack Obama began to establish a significant lead over John McCain in national polls. The much-anticipated vice-presidential candidates' TV debate attracted a record audience of some 80 million; Sarah Palin did better than expected but most commentators thought Joseph Biden was the winner on substance. At Britain's annual Conservative Party Conference, leader David Cameron concentrated on claiming that the party was now ready to govern. Prime Minister Gordon Brown sprang a surprise by bringing Peter Mandelson back from the EU in Brussels to join the Cabinet as Business minister.