CNN: McCain: 'Fight with me'
John McCain vowed Thursday to "shake up Washington" and said he's prepared to reach across the aisle to get the country "back on the road to prosperity and peace."'

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CNN: CNN Poll of Polls: Obama's lead narrows to four points
Obama now leads McCain by four percentage points – 47 percent to 43 percent — with 10 percent undecided about their choice for president. Since the previous CNN poll of polls released Wednesday, Obama has dropped two percentage points – from 49 percent percent previously to his current support level of 47 percent – while McCain’s support remains steady at 43 percent since Wednesday.

Washington Post: McCain, Obama Vie For 'Reformist' Mantle
This year, in the midst of a war, an economic downturn, an unpopular presidency and general dissatisfaction with the failure of the political system to deal with big problems, both McCain and his Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, are scrambling for the reformist mantle, hoping to appeal to the disaffected middle without alienating the activist party bases.

WSJ: Anomaly in Arms: Candidates' Children May Face Combat Duty
Regardless of who wins this November's election, the U.S. is about to have its "Prince Harry" moment.

CNN: Palin aides peeked into trooper's files, union says
Aides to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin improperly obtained her former brother-in-law's state police personnel files and cited information from those records to raise complaints about the officer, the head of Alaska's state police union said Thursday.

CNN Radio: McCain and Palin ride the elephant out of St. Paul and onto the campaign trail
John McCain and Sarah Palin hit the campaign trail today following their Republican national convention. In today’s CNN Radio Political Ticker, Dick Uliano reports McCain's acceptance speech vowed cooperation with Democrats to change the way Washington works.

NY Times: House Chairman Failed to Report $75,000 in Income
Representative Charles B. Rangel has earned more than $75,000 in rental income from a villa he has owned in the Dominican Republic since 1988, but never reported it on his federal or state tax returns, according to a lawyer for the congressman and documents from the resort.

CNN: About last night...
See what CNN’s political experts and analysts had to say about McCain’s speech and the final night of the Republican National Convention.

CNN: Cindy McCain: John McCain speaks truth, at any cost
Cindy McCain praised her husband, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, as "someone of unusual strength and character" in a speech to the Republican National Convention on Thursday.

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CNN: Graham: 'On the road to victory' in Iraq
Sen. Lindsey Graham says 'America is safer by winning in Iraq' thanks to Sen. John McCain.

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CNN: Palin blasts Obama as unfit to lead
Sarah Palin praised John McCain on Wednesday night as a man who has met grave challenges and "knows how tough fights are won."

Click here to read the full transcript of Palin's speech.

CNN: Democrats say Palin mimics Bush divisiveness
Democrats accused Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin of mirroring "divisive" attacks by President Bush Wednesday night and said showed she wasn't qualified to be on the ticket.

CNN Radio: McCain gets props as Palin pulls no punches
John McCain takes center stage tonight after officially securing his party's nomination. Republicans used the third night of their convention to boost McCain and jab Democrat Barack Obama. Dick Uliano has today's CNN Radio Political Ticker.

WSJ: Speechwriter for McCain Hunkers Down
John McCain's acceptance speech Thursday is the pinnacle of a partnership between the candidate and his friend of nearly two decades, speechwriter Mark Salter.

Click here to read up on all the key speakers here.

AP: Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task that is from God."

AP: Antiwar march planned for last day of RNC
As John McCain accepts his party's presidential nomination Thursday night, protesters calling for an end to the Iraq war plan to march outside the Xcel Energy Center.

Washington Post: McCain Address to Be Wake-Up Call for GOP
When he steps to the lectern at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday night to accept the Republican presidential nomination, Sen. John McCain will face an immediate comparison to an opponent known for his soaring rhetoric who delivered his own speech to a football stadium full of people and a television audience of 38 million. And that's the easy part.

WSJ: McCain Top Fund-Raisers Set New Target
John McCain's top fund-raisers met privately here Wednesday to begin a new effort to raise $100 million in the final two months of the Republican presidential candidate's campaign.

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CNN: CNN Poll of polls: Obama holds slim lead
Roughly nine weeks before Election Day, a new CNN poll of polls shows Barack Obama holding a five point lead over John McCain. Only four days after Obama’s acceptance speech and three days after McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate, Obama is now ahead of McCain, 49 to 44 percent.

CNN: McCain camp claims new fundraising record
John McCain's campaign said Monday that it had raised $47 million in the month of August – his biggest monthly total to date – nearly matching Barack Obama’s July fundraising figure of $50 million.

Washington Post: GOP Deals With the Storm - and the Stork
Hurricane Gustav made landfall on the Louisiana coast about 10:30 a.m. Monday. Hurricane Bristol made landfall in Minnesota at 11:43 a.m.

AP: John McCain's vetter defends Sarah Palin review
Sarah Palin voluntarily told John McCain's campaign about her pregnant teenage daughter and her husband's 2-decade-old DUI arrest during questioning as part of the Republican's vice presidential search.

AP: McCain fought money on teen pregnancy programs
Republican John McCain, whose running mate disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, has opposed proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require poor teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits.

Washington Post: Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group.

Washington Times: McCain in talks with Ron Paul for backing
The McCain campaign, acting through the Republican National Committee, has been negotiating with Rep. Ron Paul to win his support and acquire the names of his sympathizers among the 4,607 delegates and alternates at the Republican National Convention, according to a senior aide to the Texas congressman.

CNN Radio: Anarchists and Police make volatile mix at the Republican Convention
Police arrested more than 200 protestors outside the Republican National Convention. Dick Uliano reports President Bush could appear today via satellite from Washington. Get it all in today’s CNN Radio Political Ticker.

WSJ Op-ED: Nancy Pfotenhauer: Ignore the Chauvinists. Palin Has Real Experience.
In Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain has found a fellow maverick to be his running mate - one who can help bring the right kind of reform to Washington. Ms. Palin, like Mr. McCain, has a strong record of battling the status quo, restoring accountability and effectiveness to government, and working to secure energy independence, root out corruption and curb wasteful spending.

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CNN: CNN Poll: Obama 49, McCain 48
On the eve of the Republican convention, a new national poll suggests the race for the White House remains dead even.

CNN: Gustav prompts major changes to RNC agenda
The Republican National Convention will cut back most of its activities Monday because of Hurricane Gustav, Sen. John McCain said Sunday.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Thousands expected Monday for protest
About 50,000 are expected today, despite no-shows by Bush and Cheney. But some call recent police actions efforts at intimidation.

USA Today: Palin backed 'bridge to nowhere' in 2006
In her nationally televised speech accepting the job as John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress" and opposed federal funding for a controversial bridge to a sparsely populated island.

CNN Radio: The Grand Old Party scales back the party
The Republicans are scrapping the celebrating and cutting back most activities at their convention today because of Hurricane Gustav. Dick Uliano has today's CNN Radio political ticker.

NY Times: Don’t Like Palin’s Wikipedia Story? Change It
IN the 24 hours before the McCain campaign put the finishing touches on its surprise announcement Friday that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska would be the Republican vice presidential candidate, one Wikipedia user was putting the finishing touches on her biography on the site.

Washington Post: With Palin On the Ticket, Evangelicals Are Energized
Outside his evangelical church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, David Chung was mobbed by friends and church members suddenly excited about the Republican ticket.

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