Updated

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Racial Politics

Some African-American legislators from New York are accusing the McCain campaign of resorting to the politics of fear and racism.

Congressman Gregory Meeks says in The New York Observer, "They are trying to throw out these codes. He's 'not one of us?' That's racial. That's fear. They know they can't win on the issues, so the last resort they have is race and fear."

Ed Towns says, "Racism is alive and well in this country and McCain and Palin are trying to appeal to that and it's unfortunate."

And Yvette Clark was critical of Sarah Palin's repeated appeals to "Joe Six-Pack" and "hockey moms." "Who exactly is Joe Six-Pack and who are these hockey moms?... Is that supposed to be terminology that is of common ground to all Americans? I don't find that. It leaves a lot of people out," Clark said.

Laughing All the Way to the Bank

A "Saturday Night Live" sketch that aired over the weekend centered on a fake news conference with some of the major players involved in Washington's financial rescue bill. But NBC has pulled the original skit from its Web site and replaced it with an edited version because a husband and wife portrayed in the sketch as mortgage deadbeats are real people.

The Los Angeles Times reports Herb and Marion Sandler are prominent supporters of liberal and Democratic causes but also made billions selling subprime loans before the market collapsed.

An NBC spokesman explained the video was pulled because there were certain elements that didn't meet its standards. One of those changes was removing a graphic beneath the actors portraying the Sandlers that labeled them as "People who should be shot."

Another cut that was made was House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank's interaction with the Sandler couple after they thanked the Democrat along with Republicans for "helping block Congressional oversight of our corrupt activities." In the edited version viewers miss that and Frank's enthusiastic reply of "not at all!"

Location, Location

The debate continues over Barack Obama's connection to 1960s radical William Ayers. It was in Ayers' home back in 1995 that then-Illinois State Senator Alice Palmer introduced a young Obama as her heir apparent.

But an Obama senior aide says it was just a coincidence the event took place at the home of the former Weather Underground member, saying, "A Democratic state senator organizes the meeting at the home of one of her supporters. What is the problem here?"

But Palmer — who rarely speaks to reporters — told CNN she denies organizing the political affair for Obama although she did say she attended. Obama senior strategist David Axelrod told that network Obama didn't know the history of Ayers' past when the political event was held.

Midwest Manners?

A new take on political dirty tricks: The Politico newspaper reports Missouri senator and Obama supporter Claire McCaskill was stepping out of her chair after a cable news interview following Tuesday's presidential debate when McCain supporter Mitt Romney approached to take her place.

After unplugging various wires, McCaskill handed Romney the earpiece guests wear to hear the host. The Missouri senator said with a smile, "I spit on this before I put it in."

A Romney spokesman e-mailed saying, "You should have seen what she did to the chair."

FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.