Palin supports ban on gay marriage

NEW YORK — Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin says she supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a break with John McCain, who has said he believes states should be left to define what marriage is.

In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network, the Alaska governor said she had voted in 1998 for a state amendment banning same-sex marriage and hoped to see a federal ban on such unions. She said she believed traditional marriage is the foundation for strong families.

McCain, an Arizona senator, is supporting a ballot initiative in his state this year that would ban gay marriage. But he has consistently and forcefully opposed a federal marriage amendment, saying it would usurp states' authority on such matters.

McCain fine-tuning, increasing TV ads

WASHINGTON — With Democrat Barack Obama holding a clear financial advantage, Republican John McCain is fine-tuning his advertising message and increasing his television spots going into the final two weeks of a presidential contest that is shattering spending records.

McCain spent $37 million in September, leaving him $47 million for October. His monthly financial report filed with the Federal Election Commission shows he spent nearly two-thirds of his money — $22.5 million — on advertising as he tried to keep up with Obama's ad blitz in battleground states.

Obama reported raising $150 million in September.

Sinuses Biden's major health issue

WASHINGTON — Joseph Biden appears to be very healthy, with some routine aging issues, but there's no evidence he's had a brain scan to completely rule out another aneurysm like the one that required emergency surgery 20 years ago.

The Democratic vice-presidential candidate's medical records, released to reporters Monday, show no reason for concern about another aneurysm: He has no symptoms, has healthy blood pressure — 120 over 78 — and seems to have healthy heart arteries.

At 65, Biden mostly has minor age-related conditions to contend with: He takes medication for an enlarged prostate, but a biopsy found no prostate cancer. He takes the statin drug Zocor to keep his cholesterol in the healthy range.

His chief health complaint is chronic sinusitis. He underwent sinus surgery in the spring and uses medication for relief.

The only blip: He had at least one, possibly two, episodes of an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation in 2006. Two full cardiac exams that July and November showed no cardiovascular disease.

Familiarity may breed no vote

As voters have gotten to know Sen. Barack Obama, they have warmed up to him, with more than half, 53 percent, now saying they have a favorable impression of him and 33 percent saying they have an unfavorable view. But as voters have gotten to know Sen. John McCain, they have not warmed, with only 36 percent of voters saying they view him favorably while 45 percent view him unfavorably.

Even voters who are planning to vote for McCain say their enthusiasm has waned. In New York Times and CBS News polls conducted with the same respondents before the first presidential debate and again after the last debate, McCain made no progress in appealing to voters on a personal level, and he and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, had alienated some voters.

Also

"Tales From the Crypt": The next issue of the horror-comic book has Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin depicted on its cover swinging a hockey stick and rousting the ghoulish characters made famous in "Crypt" gory glory days in the 1950s. The cover references an incident in 1996 when Palin, then mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, sought to ban books from a local public library.

Dead bear: Police and a North Carolina college were investigating the discovery early Monday of a dead bear cub draped with a pair of Barack Obama campaign signs in front of Western Carolina University's administration building at the entrance to the campus.

Seattle Times news services