Campaign sharpens in U.S. as Republican McCain takes poll lead

McCain, a decorated war hero who based much of his early campaign on the strength of his experience, wrestled last week for Obama’s mantle of change with the help of his surprise vice presidential pick Sarah Palin.

A USA Today/Gallup survey showed McCain ahead of Obama 50 percent to 46 percent among registered voters, a turnaround from a previous poll taken by the newspaper just before last week’s Republican National Convention.

That poll had McCain trailing Obama by seven percentage points.

A new Gallup daily tracking poll found McCain had moved into a 48 to 45 percent lead ahead of the November 4 election -- his best performance since May.

Experts attributed the McCain rebound to his party’s convention and the surprise naming of Alaska governor Palin.

"He’s in a far better position than his people imagined he would be in at this point," political scientist Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia was quoted by USA Today as saying.

McCain said in an interview aired on Sunday he would bring Democrats into his Cabinet and administration as part of his attempt to change the political atmosphere in Washington.

"I don't know how many but I can tell you, with all due respect to previous administrations, it is not going to be a single, 'Well, we have a Democrat now,'" McCain said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"It's going to be the best people in America, the smartest people in America," he said in an interview taped on Saturday.

Obama, 47, has been running on the change theme for more than a year and a half while McCain, 72, has come to it more recently after mostly campaigning on his experience.

Obama in an interview also taped earlier and televised on Sunday on ABC's "This Week," said McCain spoke of reducing the rancor in Washington but the Republican convention that nominated him last week was a highly partisan affair.

"How you campaign I think foreshadows how you're going to govern," Obama was quoted by Reuters as saying.

PALIN OUT ON HER OWN
With 58 days until the election, the two candidates took a rare day off on Sunday before plunging back into the fray.

Since he accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, McCain has been campaigning with Palin and attracting enthusiastic crowds.

Palin, unknown on the national political stage until last week, was scheduled to start campaigning on her own on Monday.

Before she was elected governor, Palin had been the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, with a population of under 10,000 people.

Palin, a conservative with a strong anti-abortion and pro-gun record, has not been questioned by the media since McCain made her his surprise pick for No. 2 on Aug. 29.

McCain said she would start giving interview "within the next few days" but did not elaborate.

McCain adviser Mark Salter said later on Sunday that Palin had agreed to a series of interviews with national media, likely starting on Thursday or Friday, and beginning with Charlie Gibson of ABC.

Palin is scheduled to participate in one vice presidential debate against Joe Biden, Obama's running mate and a veteran senator, on Oct. 2.