Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau

Philadelphia Inquirer: Candidates Let Ads Do The Talking
The phrase had a nice ring to it. With six weeks to campaign here, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton would make Pennsylvania "the new Iowa." They'd give it the same up-close-and-personal treatment as the first state in the presidential selection process. Except it hasn't turned out that way.

DC Examiner: Gun Rights Splits Pa. Democrats
On Sunday gun rights took center stage for Pennsylvania Democrats in the suburbs of Philadelphia and the rural communities of the central part of the state as primary voters debated the meaning of Barack Obama’s statements about what motivates “small-town” voters.

Boston Globe: Fighter Image Carries Costs For Clinton
The harder-edged persona - intended to present Sen. Hillary Clinton as tougher than Sen. Barack Obama - has won her greater support among some elements of the electorate, especially blue-collar voters, pollsters say. But it has also come at a cost, as Clinton continues to be hamstrung by public impressions of her as divisive and untrustworthy.

Washington Times: McCain Keeps His Faith Out Of Politics
Don't expect any public testimonies of faith from presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, who is not demonstrative about his religion but who embraces a Baptist faith that is based on salvation

Washington Post: For Obama, Unexpected Support
As strong and consistent abortion foes, Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. and former congressman Timothy J. Roemer are anomalies in a Democratic Party that has overwhelmingly advocated abortion rights. Yet both are backing Sen. Barack Obama, whom one conservative blogger dubbed "the most pro-abortion candidate ever."

AP: McCain More Conservative Than His Image
The independent label sticks to John McCain because he antagonizes fellow Republicans and likes to work with Democrats. But a different label applies to his actual record: conservative.

NY Times: Views on Money for Iraq War, and What Else Could Be Done With It
With long-term estimates of the cost of the Iraq war ranging from $1 trillion to $3 trillion or more, the question naturally arises of what else the country could have done with the money.