ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Polishing off his strawberry-banana yogurt, Jacob Moore races to his keyboard with a whoop, picks his way through “Pop Goes the Weasel” and gives his mom a high five. This is the average stuff of childhood, and it has not come easily to the 8-year-old with Down syndrome.

For his mother, Heidi Moore, achieving average “is like climbing Mount Everest.” The family has been clambering up with the help of therapists, 15 surgeries, prayer and a tight-knit community of parents whose children live with the disorder.

ROME — According to one man who would know, there is nothing stopping Sarah Palin from doing a great job as a vice president.

Vice President Dick Cheney told reporters in Rome on Monday that he “loved” Palin’s speech to the Republican National Convention. He laughed when he recounted her line about the difference between hockey moms and pit bulls being a coat of lipstick.

“I thought her appearance at the convention was superb,” Cheney said.

WASILLA, Alaska  — A little sermon about — and for — the messenger seemed to Pastor Larry Kroon an appropriate message on Sunday morning.

“It’s been an interesting week,” laughed Kroon, pastor at the Wasilla Bible Church, as he welcomed attendees. The nondenominational congregation where Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her family worship was carrying on services as usual this Sunday, but with a few extra guests.

John McCain has taken a slight lead over Barack Obama, 48-45 percent, according to the latest Gallup Daily Tracking poll out Sunday. It is the largest advantage for McCain, though still within the 2-point margin of error, since May.

The 48 percent also registers the largest raw number McCain has received in the poll since Gallup started its daily tracking of the two presidential candidates in March. McCain matched that number in May.

WASHINGTON — Democrat Joe Biden says he’s debated “an awful lot of tough, smart women” throughout his career and that next month’s vice presidential debate with Republican Sarah Palin will be no exception. But he’d like to know where she stands on issues.

“She’s a smart, tough politician, so I think she’s going to be very formidable,” Biden told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.