Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, listens to a question as he makes a campaign stop at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.
Carolyn Kaster / AP
ng over him. He supported the president's unpopular efforts to transform Iraq and revamp Social Security; he was against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them. He's a 71-year-old Washington hand in a change election. And his 46-year-old opponent is a lot better at raising money, delivering speeches, drawing crowds and registering new voters.

By David Lightman | McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON - In what's usually a slow political month, television viewers have been bombarded this July with reminders of John McCain's patriotism and sensitivity to Latino voters as well as Barack Obama's energy policies and heartfelt commitment to the needy.
This summer slew of political ads is a dramatic change from past presidential campaigns.
ise level is the memory of the 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads. The group began running ads in early August that accused Democratic nominee John Kerry of embellishing his Vietnam War record.

By James Wright WASHINGTON - With Sen. Barack Obama as the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, some black members of the Republican Party face a dilemma: support their white candidate (Sen. John McCain RAriz.) or cross party lines and vote for the first African American with a serious chance to win the White House.
The conflict came to light recently when the National Black Republican Association (NBRA) released plans to criticize the Illinois senator for what some call his inexperience and what they perceive as his aloof attitude toward working-class people in radio ads on black stations in key battleground states. Francis Rice, president of the NBRA, said

by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Staff Writer It's been a mantra used by Arlington County Democrats to get the rank-and-file psyched up for the coming general election:

By Hal Piper I hope the Democratic National Committee doesn't blow the election for Sen. Barack Obama. On paper, this seems to be a can't-lose year for the

By Tobin Harshaw Plenty of Republicans think the news media is in the tank for Barack Obama, but a Rasmussen Reports survey found that plenty of other

He lags behind Obama, but is cooperating with party fundraisers to raise more than individual limits allow.
By Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
it donations of $100,000 or more.