Politics

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Cooks and customers stand together and recite the Pledge of Allegiance on Sept. 11, 2012, at Chick and Ruth's Delly in Annapolis, Md., on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Restaurant owner Ted Levitt has been leading customers and employees in reciting the pledge the small diner every day since 1989 — a tradition started by his father, Chick Levitt, who opened the business in 1965. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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** FILE ** Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks to reporters in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 10, 2012, after visiting the Flight 93 National Memorial ahead of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. (Associated Press)

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U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi ( left) meets with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo on Monday. Mr. Brahimi, who is tasked with brokering a diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict, replaced Kofi Annan, who stepped down in August in frustration after his six-point peace plan collapsed. Mr. Morsi also is seeking to end the bloodshed in Syria. (Associated Press)

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Afghan soldiers stand under their nation’s flag as the U.S. turns over its prison at Bagram Airfield north of Kabul to the Afghan government. It holds about 3,000 inmates, raising fears that militants could be released and endanger U.S. troops. (Associated Press)

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President Obama uses a cellphone to contact supporters during a surprise visit to meet campaign workers at an Obama campaign office Sunday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Florida is considered the biggest prize among the swing states up for grabs. (Associated Press)

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GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney stands atop a makeshift stage Monday as he addresses an overflow crowd at PR Machine Works in Mansfield, Ohio. (Associated Press)

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With the GOP platform calling for an end to government subsidies for Amtrak, Vice President Joseph R. Biden says, “I’m the biggest railroad guy you’ve ever known,” adding that he has ridden the train between Washington and his Wilmington, Del., home more than 7,900 times. (Associated Press)

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Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican-turned-independent, seen here Thursday addressing the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., polls well among Sunshine State Democrats. (Associated Press)

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Clint Eastwood’s “empty chair” moment at the 2012 Republican convention inspired instant political slogans, and the actor-director stands by his unconventional presentation. (CafePress.com)

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An Afghan soldier adjusts bullets in his gun Sept. 10, 2012, on a military helicopter during a flight transporting journalists from Kabul, Afghanistan, to Bagram. The journalists were to attend a ceremony where U.S. officials handed over formal control of the country's only large-scale U.S.-run prison to Afghanistan. (Associated Press)