Barack Obama and John McCain mixed disdain and often caustic remarks as they set out sharply different views of how they would manage the country and confront adversaries.
Yes, it is true that Sarah Palin is the first woman to be chosen as a vice president nominee of the Republican Party, but the fact that she is a woman should not be the focus of attention ["" September 15-2].
I agree that Sarah Palin doesn't have the experience for the presidency, but there's no indication that, at 72, McCain is not going to live another four years, and she can get the needed experience on the job ["When a Vice President Steps Into the Top Job," September 15-22].
It was a great understatement when Michael Baron wrote in "The Battle of Party Themes" [September 15-22] "neither party has set out its programs clearly (or characterized the other size fairly)."
AP - In a faceoff that returned again and again to judgment, John McCain portrayed himself as a battle-tested elder running against a naive rookie, while Barack Obama suggested the Republican is a hothead who made the wrong choices on the Iraq war, corporate taxes and more.
AP - Lawmakers say they're making progress and hope to reach an agreement over the weekend on a $700 billion government bailout to rescue Wall Street bankers from the bad loans that threaten to derail the economy and send it into a deep and long depression.
AP - A Chinese astronaut on Saturday performed the nation's first-ever spacewalk, the latest milestone in an ambitious program that is increasingly rivaling the United States and Russia in its rapid expansion.
In their first head-to-head debate Friday, Barack Obama sought to link John McCain to President Bush. He charged that McCain had supported "eight years of failed policies." Meanwhile, McCain criticized his rival as a candidate who "doesn't understand" the key issues the country faces.
Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama landed some punches Friday night, but neither delivered a knockout blow in the first presidential debate featuring the two party nominees.
A national poll of people who watched the first presidential debate suggests that Barack Obama came out on top, but there was overwhelming agreement that both Obama and John McCain would be able to handle the job of president if elected.
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