On 9/11, A Day of
Peace for Candidates

Seven years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the two candidates vying to be the first post-9/11 president put away campaign sniping to honor those we lost.

At about 4 pm on Thursday, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain visited the pit of the former World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

The candidates, joined by Cindy McCain and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, greeted family members of some of the victims, along with construction workers and firemen. Michelle Obama was at home in Chicago with her daughters.

Obama and McCain tossed flowers into a reflecting pool and stood for a moment of silence. The group of four then walked to an honorary guard of uniformed emergency responders and shook their hands, before being greeted by Port Authority police officers who shared stories of that horrific day.

Newsday reported that Obama and McCain shook hands before leaving the World Trade Center site, with McCain saying to Obama, "See you soon"--possibly referring to the first presidential debate on September 26. (The Advocate)