"First of all politics is a tough business," says McCain. "Second of all, I think the tone of this whole campaign would've been very different if Sen. Obama had accepted my request for us to appear at town hall meetings."

Palin will now be vetted by the national press and the blogosphere and it won't be pretty. She's got six short weeks to learn foreign and economic policy. The honeymoon is over.

Obama's decision is no surprise to those of us who witnessed how well the Biden and Obama camps worked together during the Iowa caucuses. Biden's many supporters there are jumping for joy.

I think it's just great they're back in New Hampshire together. Obama and Clinton split the vote here in Unity -- each got 107 votes -- so it makes perfect sense that they'll come back to Unity to start again.

This weekend Barack Obama ditched his suit, picked up a shovel and started filling sandbags in the Midwest flood zone. John McCain sent a press release from a private fundraiser in Riverside, California.

Bush and McCain moved their event in the presumptive Republican nominee's hometown to a smaller venue, afraid protesters would outnumber guests. Meantime, Michelle packed a convention room around the corner.

The "welcome back" rally scheduled for Tuesday in Des Moines is a thank you to the white working class voters who catapulted him to the front of the race and gave Clinton her first taste of defeat.