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.

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama acknowledged Sunday that he was probably too flip when he said it was “above my pay grade” to answer a question about when is a baby entitled to human rights.

Obama gave his answer last month at a nationally televised religious forum sponsored by minister Rick Warren at his megachurch in Orange County, Calif.

Nearly two weeks after the state’s lone congressman squared off against Sarah Palin’s lieutenant governor, no clear winner has emerged in Alaska’s Republican House primary.

At this stage of the counting, embattled Rep. Don Young is ahead by several hundred votes against Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell as counting continues of absentee ballots from the most desolate parts of the state as well as military ballots from overseas.

WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama says he would delay rescinding President Bush’s tax cuts on wealthy Americans if he becomes the next president and the economy is in a recession, suggesting such an increase would further hurt the economy.

Nevertheless, Obama has no plans to extend the Bush tax cuts beyond their expiration date, as Republican John McCain advocates. Instead, Obama wants to push for his promised tax cuts for the middle class, he said in a broadcast interview aired Sunday.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Republican vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin is offering her first televised interview to ABC News in the coming week in Alaska.

Palin, the surprise pick of Republican presidential nominee John McCain, has been giving campaign speeches alongside the Arizona senator since the GOP convention but has not sat down for an interview about her views.

Republican John McCain said Sunday if he’s elected president, he will appoint Democrats to his Cabinet.

Arguing Americans’ distrust of government doesn’t break down by party, McCain said he wants the best people to tackle the nation’s toughest problems regardless of partisanship. He continued to build on his nomination acceptance speech last week in which he faulted Democrats as well as Republicans for losing their way in Washington.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — For the second time this year, mechanical problems have forced Democrat Barack Obama to change charter airplanes on short notice.