Elections

Democratic Senate candidate Susan Bysiewicz says she's no longer running her campaign TV commercial that makes a false accusation, but is standing by her overall claim that U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy has accepted more contributions from Wall Street sources than other Democrats.

Murphy questioned why Bysiewicz hadn't pulled the ad sooner, saying her defense of the commercial over the last week-and-a-half has been "the most astonishing thing I have seen."

Murphy said her claim about Wall Street contributions is also wrong.

The latest national security issue to figure in the presidential campaign has little to do with Iran, Afghanistan or other foreign policy challenges. Mitt Romney is instead focusing on what he and other Republicans allege is the Obama administration's record of leaking classified information for political purposes.

On the eve of a trip abroad intended to burnish his credentials to be commander in chief, Mitt Romney accused Obama administration officials of betraying the country by leaking national security secrets for their own political gain and failing to stand up to adversaries like China, Russia and Iran. Do you believe leaks are ever appropriate and if so, why?

If the stakes could not be bigger, why are the presidential candidates running such insubstantial campaigns?

On any given day, it seems like the debate is about whether President Obama thinks entrepreneurs built their own businesses or what year Mitt Romney gave up control of Bain Capital — instead of big solutions to fundamental problems like economic growth, energy or immigration.

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

American flags are flying at half-staff today over the White House, and elsewhere in the country. The shootings in Aurora have silenced politics as usual - at least, for the moment. The Romney and Obama campaigns have both pulled their TV ads from the air in Colorado, a state that had three top political advertising markets in the country this week. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on a somber day on the campaign trail.