Obama's foreign trip not a knock-out, campaign says

Despite tough week, McCain in striking range By LARRY EICHEL Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — For John McCain, here's some good news. Barack Obama has come home from overseas. There are still 100 days left to go. The polls remain close. And the contrast in political imagery has to get better. It can't get worse. Consider the visuals from Thursday: One man speaking in Berlin to 200,000 cheering Germans about a vision of America reaching out to the world, while his opponent goes to a German restaurant in Ohio. Wednesday wasn't much better: Obama meeting with Israeli survivors of rocket barrages while McCain talks to reporters in a supermarket in Bethlehem, Pa.. Even on a more-normal week, the Republican candidate might have trouble commanding voters' attention. Analysts agree the presidential campaign is primarily about... [read full story]