McCain shies away from recent days’ attacks

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Republican John McCain, the clock ticking down on a chance to narrow Democrat Barack Obama’s lead in polls, turned away Saturday from visceral attacks on his rival to pivot back toward policy differences.

McCain kept his speech in this Iowa river town focused on the economy and other policies, a striking change from just days ago when his campaign redoubled its challenge to Obama over his association with a former ’60s radical. McCain also claimed that American voters didn’t really know Obama and his own "radical" views.