In the Headlines

"Obama got no bounce in polls from foreign tour" (David Lightman, McClatchy) - Barack Obama got no lasting boost from his ballyhooed trip last week to Europe and the Middle East, according to new national and swing state polls released Thursday.

"McCain Camp Says Obama Is Playing 'Race Card'" (Michael Cooper and Michael Powell, New York Times) - Senator John McCain's campaign accused Senator Barack Obama on Thursday of playing "the race card," citing his remarks that Republicans would try to scare voters by pointing out that he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."

"McCain, Obama Tilt Over Taxes" (Laura Meckler, Wall Street Journal) - Sen. John McCain continues to slam rival Barack Obama for wanting to raise taxes on Social Security, even as he periodically explains that he might be willing to do the same.

"Campaigns' Iraq Stances Seem to Hit a Middle Ground" (Karen DeYoung, Washington Post) - When President Bush announced his plan, in January 2007, to launch a "surge" of U.S. troops in Iraq, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the initiative the "best possible chance" for success and proposed a Senate resolution supporting it. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) called the troop buildup "another tired and failed policy" and introduced a bill opposing it.

On the Morning Shows

Early Show - McCain campaign manager Rick Davis, arguing how Obama has played the race card: "In three separate appearances Obama made direct allusions that McCain himself would come after him in this way and we're not going to let this card get played, we're not going to put up with this. Since then I think the Obama campaign has retracted from this."

Obama strategist David Axelrod: "Obama never called McCain a racist, the audience laughed and applauded and it's because he's not exactly from central casting for presidential candidates. The quote itself was not interpreted that way from the audience. The McCain campaign has made the decision it's going to run 100% negative ads. This is not the John McCain we expected in this campaign."

From Late Night

Leno:

(Greg Bobrinskoy contributed to the Morning Report.)