In the Headlines

"Gap Is Narrowing in Battleground States" (Sara Murray, Wall Street Journal) - Results of the poll, which was conducted in partnership with The Wall Street Journal and washingtonpost.com, show the gap narrowing between Sens. McCain and Obama. Sen. Obama leads slightly in Michigan and by double-digits in Wisconsin, but by smaller margins than about one month ago. The two candidates are running statistically even in Colorado and Minnesota, compared to the respective five-point and seven-point lead Sen. Obama had in June.

"Obama, in Berlin, Calls for Renewal of Ties With Allies" (Jeff Zeleny and Nicholas Kulish, New York Times) - Senator Barack Obama stood before a sea of cheering admirers on Thursday and sought to inspire fresh cooperation among American allies to defeat terrorism and other threats, introducing himself as a leader who could summon other nations to join the United States in confronting the world's next challenges.

"McCain May Act Soon on VP Pick" (Michael D. Shear and Robert Barnes, Washington Post) - Anxious to counter the blanket media coverage that has followed Sen. Barack Obama on his overseas journey, Sen. John McCain is weighing whether to announce his running mate in the coming weeks before the spotlight shifts to China and the opening of the Olympic Games next month.

"House GOP moving away from Bush to McCain" (Susan Crabtree, The Hill) - House Republicans are increasingly vocal about their differences with President Bush and their newfound affection for GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

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