Palin outshines Biden in favorability, head-to-head polling

Voters can't cast ballots separately for vice president in November, of course.

But if they could, national poll findings released yesterday suggest that Republican Sarah Palin would beat Democrat Joe Biden - yet another sign of the popularity of John McCain's high-risk veep choice.

While the same CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey found Barack Obama and McCain statistically tied - Obama with 49 percent, McCain with 48 percent - Palin leads Biden 53 percent to 44 percent.

The first-term Alaska governor's favorability rating is also higher than the veteran Delaware senator's - Palin's is 57 percent favorable, 27 percent unfavorable, while Biden's is 51 percent favorable, 28 percent unfavorable. Palin's rating has improved since the GOP convention; it was 38 percent favorable, 21 percent unfavorable just after she was introduced.

And 58 percent of registered voters rate McCain's choice of Palin as excellent or pretty good, up from 52 percent a week earlier.

FOON RHEE

Biden challenges Palin on stem cell research
The latest blowup on the campaign trail was over stem cell research yesterday.

Campaigning in Missouri, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden appeared to criticize his Republican counterpart Sarah Palin. "If you care about [children with developmental disabilities], why don't you support stem cell research?" he asked.

Palin's youngest child, Trig, who was born in April, has Down syndrome, and she has pledged to be an advocate in the White House for special-needs children and their parents. She opposes embryonic stem cell research, while John McCain supported President Bush's compromise allowing research into existing stem cell lines.

Ben Porritt, a McCain spokesman, said Biden had "sunk to a new low . . . Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

In a statement to CNN, Biden spokesman David Wade said the Delaware senator's comments were not aimed at Palin. "This is a clash of policies, not a clash of personalities," Wade said. "We've heard not a dime's worth of difference between the McCain-Palin ticket and the Bush administration on medical breakthroughs that millions of parents and doctors believe could save lives and transform the quality of life for countless Americans."

FOON RHEE

Nader reaches his goal: On ballot in 45 states
Independent Ralph Nader declared a victory of sorts yesterday - his campaign has gone through the hoops to get on the November presidential ballots in 45 states.

His campaign told supporters that it reached its goal 11 days ahead of schedule.

That means Nader will be on more ballots than in 2000 (43 states) - when as the Green Party nominee he won nearly 3 percent of the vote and was blamed by Democrats for robbing Al Gore of victory - or in 2004 (34 states).

"Now, the American people will have a choice," Nader's camp told supporters, announcing an eight-week get-out-the-vote drive.

Nader's campaign also hinted yesterday that he could get the backing of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Paul, the Texas congressman who amassed an Internet army and held a counterrally at the GOP convention, plans a news conference today to "announce his intentions for the fall presidential election, and will be accompanied by several special guests."

Nader's camp disclosed that one of those "special guests" will be Nader, amid reports that Paul will urge his supporters to vote for candidates other than the major-party nominees.

FOON RHEE

Candidates returning to the Granite State
Both presidential candidates are returning to New Hampshire, a highly competitive state in November.

Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will be in the Granite State today.

Barack Obama's campaign announced yesterday that he will be in the state on Friday and Saturday - the first time he has been there since the June unity event with Hillary Clinton.

John McCain plans to be in the state, which saved his presidential bid in January, on Sunday.

FOON RHEE

Koch backs Obama
NEW YORK - Saying that Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin "scares the hell out of me," former New York mayor Ed Koch endorsed fellow Democrat Barack Obama yesterday.

In 2004, Koch backed President Bush for reelection.

ASSOCIATED PRESS