Presidential politics

McCain and Obama campaigns grapple for ‘change’ (AP)

AP - Invigorated by back-to-back political conventions, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama grappled for the mantle of change Friday as the fall race for the presidency took off in states teeming with the independent voters they needed to win.

Arrests mark last anti-war march of convention (AP)

AP - Percussion grenades, tear gas and nearly 400 arrests marked the final anti-war march during the Republican National Convention. More than 800 arrests were reported during a week of sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent dissent.

Bad job news is topic of the day

Both major presidential contenders have weighed in on the news that the unemployment rate hit a five-year high of 6.1% last month -- and both say that the other's economic policies would make things worse. Republican nominee John McCain says...

McCain can’t match week’s best speeches (AP)

AP - After back-to-back convention weeks with some soaring oratory and flawless television productions, John McCain's crowning night had neither.

Today on the presidential campaign trail

The marathon race to Nov. 4 begins

McCain’s Latino conundrum (AFP)

AFP - Nine million Hispanic voters scattered across battleground states pose a dilemma for Republican White House hopeful John McCain: how to win their support without angering his party's base.

Clinton rejects McCain and Palin (AFP)

AFP - Democrat Hillary Clinton on Thursday rejected John McCain's Republican convention address, and gave her first damning judgement on his vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin.

Obama piles up 10 million dollars after Palin attacks (AFP)

AFP - Barack Obama has taken in a record 10 million dollars in campaign cash since Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin's scorching assault on the Democratic White House nominee.

Obama sends supporters to blunt Palin’s impact (Rocky Mountain News)

Rocky Mountain News - HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Barack Obama's campaign plans to employ high-profile female supporters in an effort to blunt GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's potential to persuade women to vote Republican.

Palin draws 37 million viewers, just shy of Obama (Reuters)

Reuters - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, unknown to most Americans a week ago, nearly matched Barack Obama's record TV audience with her feisty speech on Wednesday accepting the Republican nomination for vice president, topping 37 million U.S. viewers.