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MACKINAC ISLAND, Michigan (CNN) – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had sharp words for President Barack Obama's handling of foreign relations Saturday, saying that the president is "above" the world stage and acting too much as a "neutral arbiter" who uses only words to tell other nations what's right and what's wrong.

Referring to the first months of Obama's presidency, the former Republican presidential candidate said there's been a "dramatic shift," with that shift going in the wrong direction.

"America has always been a ardent supporter of democratic efforts and protecting and defending American values and western values," Romney said, "but this president seems intent to step back to - if you will - lift himself above the world stage and say we're not a player down there with everybody else between the democracies and the autocracies."

"Instead we're going to become the neutral arbiter," Romney continued. "We're going to be above everybody. Almost like the United Nations, sort of telling people what's right and what's wrong, instead of coming down firmly, solidly, and vehemently in favor of democracy."
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The prison in Standish, Michigan, is slated for closure but would stay open if Guantanamo detainees are sent there.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Federal officials will travel to Standish, Michigan, on Thursday to tour a state prison that could be used to house terror suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. government officials said Wednesday.

Among those who will check out the facility, the officials said, will be representatives from the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons.

One administration official stressed no decision has been made about where to relocate Guantanamo detainees. Multiple options are under consideration. That official added Thursday's visit is simply to gather information about the prison.

Full story

(CNN)–Exit polling shows ninety-five percent of today's voters in Michigan feel the national economy is "not so good" or "poor." They voted for Barak Obama by a margin of 60 percent to 37 percent. Only 4 percent of today's voters in Michigan think the national economy is in good shape. They went 79 percent for McCain. The "excellent" category for the national economy got a zero percent response in Michigan.

Eighty-eight percent of Michigan's voters said the job situation in their area is "worse today." They went for Obama 62 percent to 36 percent. Only 10 percent called it "about the same." Sixty-six percent of these Michigan voters cast ballots for McCain

Michigan residents stand in line waiting to vote in the presidential election at the Coleman Young Community Center in Detroit.

(CNN) - Estimates on the longest voting lines in Detroit, Michigan were as high as 5 hours. Election Protection, a non-partisan voting watch dog group, reported a 5 hour, 1,000 person long line at Detroit's Beth Eden Baptist Church earlier on Election Day. They said it was largely due to understaffed polling stations. While state officials echo that lines were long, especially in the morning rush, they couldn't confirm voters waited 5 hours at this location. "We heard a report that 1000 people waited 5 hours but when we got there at 3:00 pm, there were 100 people inside, 100 people outside and they had waited two and a half hours," said Kelly Chesney, Spokeswoman for Michigan's Secretary of State. They expect lines to swell again as people get out of work and while most polls close statewide at 8pm ET, 4 of Michigan's western counties, Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron, and Menominee, are in the Central time zone and polls close there at 9pm ET (8pm CT). Voters still standing in line at 8pm will be allowed to cast their vote.

Updated 5:38 p.m.

Sen. Obama campaigned in East Lansing, Michigan at the beginning of this month.

(CNN) – A federal appeals court has agreed with a lower court and ordered the state of Michigan to add the names of 5,500 voters back onto the voters rolls.

Click here to read the appeals court's opinion

The names were purged when mail sent to the voters by local election officials was returned as undeliverable. Purging the names was permitted under Michigan law but violated the federal National Voter Registration Act which limits the circumstances under which a state may remove a voter from the rolls.

The appeals court explained that Michigan’s practice caused affected voters to “face wrongful disenfranchisement.”

Related: Lawsuit alleges Colorado voters illegally purged

Palin wants to keep trying in Michigan.

(CNN) – The McCain campaign decided this week that the battleground state of Michigan may be out of reach for the Republican ticket this year - a move that's drawn criticism from one prominent dissenter: VP nominee Sarah Palin.

Earlier: McCain cedes Michigan to Obama

In an interview with Fox News Friday the Republican vice presidential candidate appeared to be disappointed with the decision and said she still wants to take a stab at winning the state that hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate in two decades.

She also said she made her disagreement known to top campaign officials:

"I fired a quick e-mail and said, 'oh, come on! Do we have to call it there?' she said. " Todd and I would [be] happy to get to Michigan and walk through those plants [with] car manufacturers.

"We'd be so happy to get to speak with the people there in Michigan, who are hurting because the economy is hurting," she added. "Whatever we can do and whatever Todd and I can do in realizing what their challenges in that state are, as we can relate to them and connect with them and promise them that we won't let them down in the administration."

Earlier: Palin calls Obama comment 'reckless,' criticizes Couric

McCain aides told CNN Thursday Michigan increasingly appeared a long shot the Arizona senator and the campaign had decided to divert its resources there to other key battleground states. The latest CNN poll of polls in Michigan shows Obama with an 8 point lead in the state where the nation's economic woes have hit hard.

Related: McCain dropped $2 million before pulling up Michigan stake

But Palin maintained Friday she and McCain still have a shot there.

"I want to get back to Michigan, and I want to try," she said.

McCain pulled out of Michigan.

(CNN) – John McCain’s decision to pull out of Michigan prompted the state Republican Party chairman to issue a desperate plea Friday for donations to help fund political activities the presidential campaign would likely have shouldered.

“I won’t sugar coat it; the McCain Campaign’s decision to pull out of Michigan is a tough blow,” Saul Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, wrote in an email fundraising solicitation to Republicans. “But we cannot let it deter us.”

The latest CNN poll of Michigan voters, released late last month, suggested Obama was holding on to his edge over McCain in the fight for the state’s 17 electoral votes. Among likely voters, Obama held a 5 point lead, 51 percent to 46 percent; among the larger sample of registered voters, the lead was 7 points. Obama had a 4 point advantage in the previous CNN poll in Michigan, conducted at the beginning of September.

Michigan has voted for the Democratic candidate in the last four presidential contests, though John Kerry's winning margin there over President Bush in 2004 was just 3 points.

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McCain spent heavily on TV ads in Michigan.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) – John McCain’s presidential campaign spent nearly $2 million on television in Michigan during the month of September before deciding to pull up stakes and focus resources elsewhere.

Political advertising data compiled for CNN by TNSMI-Campaign Media Analysis Group also shows that in the final two weeks of the month alone, McCain spent more than $661,000 on TV ads in the state. Two-thirds of those commercials ran in the Detroit and Grand Rapids television markets.

Even the Republican National Committee weighed in with a sizable one day ad buy of more than $62,000 on Sept. 30, the last day of the month.

A McCain aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strategy was to try and force Obama to spend money in the state. And the aide added that there was “always a shred of hope to be able to capitalize on an electorate that was experienced and frustrated with the Democratic leaders” in the state. The McCain aide noted that Obama had invested serious time and money in Michigan and pointed to the Illinois Democrat’s decision to use the state as the stage to unveil the endorsements of former Vice President Al Gore and former Sen. John Edwards.

In the month of September, Obama spent more than $2.3 million on ads in Michigan, while the Democratic National Committee accounted for another $262,000 on campaign commercials.

It was an expensive gamble for McCain, but with 17 electoral votes on the line the campaign thought it was worth it. Now, the focus for McCain will be to keep past Republican states such as Colorado, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia in the GOP column, while trying to flip New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin as well as grabbing an electoral vote from Maine.

John McCain and Sarah Palin held a joint campaign event in Michigan last month. (Getty Images)

(CNN) - A senior McCain adviser confirms to CNN that the campaign is "shifting resources" from Michigan to Ohio and Pennsylvania, and "opening up an offensive front” in Maine.

Michigan was always a long shot for John McCain, who lost the state to native son Mitt Romney in the Republican primary. A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won there in two decades, since George H.W. Bush’s 1988 victory. But McCain had a surprisingly close showing in some polls, and made a significant time investment campaigning in the state this year.

The most recent CNN poll of polls in Michigan shows Obama with an 8 point lead in the state. (View more state polls)

Macomb County – home of the original Reagan Democrats - was one of the first stops for McCain and running mate Sarah Palin on their post-convention tour of battleground states; they held a town hall in Grand Rapids two weeks ago. (McCain lost Macomb County to Romney by more than 20 points)

Local republican officials told CNN they were thrilled to have Palin on the ticket, saying her accent and love for guns made her someone independents and Democrats uncomfortable with Obama could relate to.

But nowhere does the economy loom larger as an issue than in this hard-hit industrial state, suffering from a decade-long slump. The Obama campaign has tried to capitalize on the Democratic nominee’s polling advantage on the issue, running ads in the state that accuse McCain of not doing more to protect Michigan jobs. (Related: Obama stumps in Michigan Thursday)

As the campaign pulls resources from Michigan, it is ramping up its efforts in Maine, where Republican Senator Susan Collins is beating national trends in her re-election bid, holding a healthy double-digit lead, along with with a strong organization in the state.

A second McCain aide says that their polling shows that “Michigan isn’t even a long shot” - but the campaign is hoping to capture at least one of Maine’s 4 electoral votes, which are designated by congressional district. This year, "every electoral vote will count," says the aide.

Is an Obama ad that aired in Michigan accurate? Get the facts in this CNN Fact Check.

The Statement: In a television ad that began airing in Michigan on Sept. 24 from Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, the narrator says Republican Sen. John McCain "refused to support loan guarantees for the auto industry. But now he's telling a different story."

Get the facts!

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Could CNN's electoral map shift Wednesday? Check back at 4 pm for the answer.

(CNN) – Will the Democrats get Rocky Mountain high in Colorado?

The answer could determine who wins the race for the White House.

It's no coincidence Democrats decided to hold last month's presidential nominating convention in Denver. Colorado hasn't voted for the Democrats in a presidential election since 1992. But President Bush won the state by only 5 points over Senator John Kerry in 2004, the Democrats made major gains at the state level in the past two elections - and in this presidential election, the Obama campaign hopes to turn the state from red to blue.

Related: CNN's John King on Colorado's Latino voters - a key swing vote this fall

A state poll out earlier this week by Quinnipiac University put Barack Obama up four points over Republican rival John McCain. Today at 4 pm ET, we'll get a better sense of where the race in Colorado stands, as CNN, Time Magazine and the Opinion Research Corporation release brand new numbers on the race for the White House in the state - and CNN updates its Electoral Map.

Check out CNN's current electoral map

The poll will also include new state surveys on the battle for the presidency in Montana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Obama has the advantage in Michigan, according to a new CNN poll of polls.

(CNN) – An average of the latest polls in Michigan shows why the state continues to be a battleground in the fight for the presidency.

A new CNN poll of polls in Michigan, compiled Saturday, suggests Senator Barack Obama has a five point lead over Senator John McCain, 47 percent to 42 percent, with 11 percent of voters undecided.

Seventeen electoral votes are up for grabs in Michigan.

It seems the current financial crisis from Wall Street to Main Street will be a major factor in Michigan.

"The struggling economy could be Obama's trump card," noted CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib. "Obama is doing slightly better in our Michigan poll of polls than in our national poll of polls in large part because Michigan is ground zero when it comes to the country's current economic hardship. The unsettling news from Wall Street over the last few days should play to Obama's advantage, especially in the Rust Belt."

Michigan's voted for the Democratic candidate in the last four presidential elections, but it was quite close last time around, with Senator John Kerry beating President Bush there by just three points.

The latest CNN poll of polls is an average of the three most recent surveys in Michigan. They are a Big Ten Batttleground poll conducted September 14-17, an EPIC/MRA survey taken on the same days, and a Marist poll conducted September 16-17.

UPDATE: The release of new ARG numbers this afternoon has tightened up the Michigan average by one point. Obama now leads McCain in the Michigan poll of polls by 4 points (47 to 43 percent). This morning's Michigan poll of polls showed Obama leading McCain by 5 points (47 to 42 percent).

Are people who have lost their homes to foreclosure in danger of losing their vote, as Biden said.

The Statement:

At a campaign stop Monday, Sept. 15, in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden said that Republican officials in Michigan have made comments "suggesting that anyone who lost their home in foreclosure should also lose their right to vote." "If you're worried about losing your home, you should vote," Biden said. "You should vote for the guys who are prepared to help you keep your home - not take it away."

Get the facts after the jump!

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(CNN) - Barack Obama's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee went to court on Tuesday to block what they said were efforts by Republicans in the battleground state of Michigan to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the polls in November.

The Michigan Republican party has threatened its own legal action over the matter, accusing a liberal blog of fabricating the quote from a party official that prompted the Democratic suit.

The Michigan Messenger, a liberal blog, reported that Macomb County Republican chairman James Carabelli had told a contributor to their site that the party had a list of homes in foreclosure and would “make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses” – a comment he denies ever making.

The blog and its sponsor, the nonprofit Center for Independent Media, are standing by the story.

Obama general counsel Bob Bauer told reporters Tuesday that the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and three Michigan residents whose homes were in foreclosure had filed suit in federal court in the state, charging that the alleged comment, and other similar remarks by Republican officials in other states, indicated the GOP planned to practice a form of “voter caging” to prevent legal voters from casting ballots.

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Catch Biden's event on CNN.com/live.

(CNN) - Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden is holding a campaign rally in St. Clair Shores, Michigan.

The latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll suggests the Democratic ticket is holding a narrow lead in that key battleground state.

Check out the event on CNN.com/Live

Update: This event has ended, but stay with CNN.com/live for all the day's events on the campaign trail.'

McCain and Palin are stumping on a ‘maverick’ message.

STERLING HEIGHTS, Michigan (CNN) - At a large rally in Michigan on Friday, his first day campaigning after accepting the Republican presidential nomination, John McCain promised to upend the Washington status quo, arguing that the Democratic ticket doesn't have the chops to do so.

"That's why this ticket is the ticket to shake up Washington, because Sen. Obama doesn't have the strength to do it," McCain said. "He has never bucked his party on any issue. Never. If you want real reform, if you want real change, send the one's who've actually done it. Send the team of mavericks who aren't afraid to go to Washington and break some china."

Introducing McCain, running mate Sarah Palin boasted, "There is only one man in this election who has every really fought for you, and that man is John McCain."

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Sen. Obama is leading in Michigan according to a new poll.

(CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is leading in the battleground state of Michigan, according to a poll released Friday.

Obama leads Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, by 7 percentage points – 46 percent versus 39 percent. In the survey, 12 percent said they were unsure about their choice for president, 2 percent supported Ralph Nader, and 1 percent backed the Libertarian Party's Bob Barr.

The Detroit Free Press/Local 4 poll of 600 likely Michigan voters was conducted August 17-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

CNN considers Michigan a toss-up state. Click here to see CNN's Electoral Map.

The CNN Election Express is heading across the country.

ABOARD THE CNN ELECTION EXPRESS IN ILLINOIS (CNN) - We’re heading west, making our way through what can safely be considered Obama Country.

The Democrat’s presumptive presidential nominee also has a day job, and that’s Senator from Illinois. Before that Barack Obama was a longtime state lawmaker here, and prior to that he was a community organizer in Chicago.

We’ve been driving through a number of crucial battleground states on our way from DC to Denver, site of the Democratic National Convention, but this isn’t one of them. Vice President Al Gore won Illinois by double digits in 2000, Senator John Kerry took the state by double digits four years ago, and Obama’s expected to easily win his home state this time around.

While there’s not that much electoral drama in Illinois, it’s a different story in the two states we just passed through. Indiana’s a traditional red state that Obama would like to turn blue. And Michigan’s a state that's gone for the Democrats in the past two presidential elections, but John McCain would like to turn it red.

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Watch Sen. Obama's entire meeting with Marilyn Pace and her financial aid counselor.

(CNN) – Things got emotional during Sen. Barack Obama’s visit to a Michigan community college Tuesday.

Obama met individually with student Marilyn Pace, who is studying dental hygiene, and her financial aid counselor, Marcus McGrew, before speaking with a group of students at Wayne Community College in Taylor, Michigan.

Pace broke down in front of Obama and began crying after explaining the financial stresses she is facing while trying to get her education, help take care of her disabled father, and cope with the costs of commuting to school with the high price of gasoline.

WATCH Obama comforts crying student

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