In the Headlines

"Candidates halt campaigns for Sept. 11 anniversary" (Jennifer Loven, AP) - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama were appearing together twice Thursday and agreed to suspend all TV ads critical of each other to commemorate the day terrorists forced four airplanes to crash into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, a field in Shanksville, Pa., and the Pentagon in Washington, killing nearly 3,000 people.

"McCain Camp Hits Obama On More Than One Front" (Jonathan Weisman and Peter Slevin, Washington Post) - Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign launched a broadside against Sen. Barack Obama yesterday, accusing him of a sexist smear, comparing his campaign to a pack of wolves on the prowl against the GOP vice presidential pick, charging that the Democratic nominee favored sex education for kindergartners, and resurrecting the comments of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

"Obama Readjusts to Defuse Palin Phenomenon" (Monica Langley, Amy Chozick and Elizabeth Holmes, Wall Street Journal) - Sen. Barack Obama, slipping in national polls, is showing signs of being distracted by the enthusiasm generated by the McCain-Palin ticket and is planning a sharper message focused on economic anxiety.

"Autumn Angst: Dems fret about Obama" (David Paul Kuhn and Bill Nichols, The Politico) - Polls showing John McCain tied or even ahead of Barack Obama are stirring angst and second-guessing among some of the Democratic Party's most experienced operatives, who worry that Obama squandered opportunities over the summer and may still be underestimating his challenges this fall.

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