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FORTUNE Magazine's Nina Easton, a typically reliable GOP apologist, didn't like what she heard last night from John McCain on the mortgage meltdown -- a 180 degree flip from previous statements, as Jon Perr documented -- and sure didn't hold back her bewilderment when she said this:

"We're witnessing tonight something quite profound and that was the sinking ship of free-market Republicans keel over, groan, and fall to the bottom of the sea. John McCain, without much notice, proposed a $300 billion dollar plan to nationalize home mortgages. [...] This is on top of the $700 billion dollars already passed by Congress. And this is before he went on to attack Barack Obama on obscene spending. and government control of health care. I thought it was an amazing moment."

UPDATE: John Amato:

The FOX News post debate set was filled with depression last night. Nobody epitomized it more than Nina. Check out her expressions as she delivers this scathing indictment of John McCain's new bail out. Fred Barnes tries to rescue McCain by saying that he didn't explain it very well, but she wouldn't have any of it.

Nina: 300 Billion dollars is what it is. His campaign fact sheet says that.