Ny Safidinao

DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican John McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on Friday, a senior campaign official said, in a surprise choice that could help him appeal to women voters. The choice of Palin, 44, will be unveiled later on Friday in a rally in Dayton as McCain grabs the political focus away from Democratic rival Barack Obama one day after Obama accepted his party's presidential nomination. McCain and Palin will face Obama and his No. 2, Joe Biden, in the November 4 presidential election. The pick followed days of speculation about McCain's choice, with most of the better-known contenders like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney slowly eliminated over the last 24 hours. Palin is a conservative first-term governor of Alaska with strong anti-abortion views and a record of fiscal conservatism. She is an avid sportswoman who would bring youth and vitality to the ticket. McCain turns 72 on Friday. Palin is not well-known nationally, and that coul

DENVER — With her husband looking on tenderly and her supporters watching with tears in their eyes, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton deferred her own dreams on Tuesday night and delivered an emphatic plea at the Democratic National Convention to unite behind her rival, Senator Barack Obama, no matter what ill will lingered. Mrs. Clinton, who was once certain that she would win the Democratic nomination this year, also took steps on Tuesday — deliberate steps, aides said — to keep the door open to a future bid for the presidency. She rallied supporters in her speech, and, at an earlier event with 3,000 women, described her passion about her own campaign. And her aides limited input on the speech from Obama advisers, while seeking advice from her former strategist, Mark Penn, a loathed figure in the Obama camp. But the main task for Mrs. Clinton at the convention — reaffirming her support for Mr. Obama in soaring and unconditional language — dominated her 23-minute speech, and she betrayed

DENVER — Senator Edward M. Kennedy, struggling with terminal brain cancer, arrived on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in a triumphant appearance that provided an emotional start for the event as the party turned to a new era and gathered to nominate Senator Barack Obama for president. Mr. Kennedy arrived at the convention center here shortly before dusk, accompanied by a flock of family members. He walked a few halting steps to a waiting golf cart, which drove him into the hall where Democrats are meeting this week. Mr. Kennedy walked out with his wife, Vicki, who kissed him and left him at the lectern. The crowd, many of them wiping tears from their eyes, would not stop cheering until he settled them down “My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here,” Mr. Kennedy said. “And nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.” “I have come here tonight,” he continued, “to stand with you to change America to restore its f

WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama introduced Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his running mate on Saturday at a boisterous rally in Springfield, Ill., a choice that strengthens the Democratic ticket’s credentials on foreign policy and provides Mr. Obama a combative partner as he heads into the fight with Senator John McCain. In Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama selected a six-term senator from Delaware best known for his expertise on foreign affairs — Mr. Biden spent last weekend in Georgia as that nation engaged in a tense confrontation with Russia — but also for his skills at political combat. Mr. Obama passed over other candidates who might have brought him a state or reinforced the message of change that has been central to his candidacy. At the rally outside the Old State Capitol where Mr. Obama announced his candidacy 19 months ago, he described Mr. Biden as a man ready to be president. And he offered a passionate and politically instructive introduction of Mr. Biden: the portrait of a running

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced the prime-time speakers today for the four nights of the convention later this month in Denver from August 25-28. On August 25, Michelle Obama will headline the opening night of the convention, while former presidential rival Sen. Hillary Clinton will headline Tuesday night. The DNCC statement tout’s Clinton as “a champion for working families and one of the most effective and empathetic voices in the country today.” On August 27, the still unnamed vice presidential nominee will speak. All three of those speeches will take place at the Pepsi Center while on the final evening the venue moves to Invesco Field for Barack Obama’s convention speech. “The 2008 Convention will highlight Americans coming together to change the course of this nation,” said Convention Co-Chair and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in a statement echoing the theme of the four-day nominating convention. The DNCC will roll out additional programming details and sch

Eating out invariably raises a number of tricky questions: sit-down or drive-thru? Burgers or pizza? Thin or stuffed crust? And if you're dining with your family, add the biggest question of all: Will the food we eat today bring a fatter tomorrow for our kids? And fewer tomorrows for the rest of us? So the choice between McDonald’s and Burger King shouldn’t be based solely on whether you're more terrified by the scary clown Ronald McDonald or that creepy masked Burger King. Choosing one over the other could be the difference of hundreds of calories in a meal, more than 10 unnecessary pounds over the course of a year, and countless health woes over the course of a lifetime. During more than a year of research, my coauthor and I discovered vast dietary discrepancies between many of the places Americans love to eat most. So to help you separate the commendable from the deplorable, we put 43 major chain restaurants under the nutritional microscope — both for your benefit, and that