Two new U.S. public opinion polls show Republican presidential candidate John McCain leading his Democratic rival, Barack Obama.
The USA Today-Gallup poll says McCain leads Obama, 50 percent to 46 percent among registered voters.
A separate Gallup daily tracking poll says McCain is ahead, 48 percent to 45 percent.
The polls show McCain got a boost from last week's Republican Party convention and the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.
Vice President Dick Cheney told reporters in Rome Monday there is no reason why Palin cannot be a successful vice president in a McCain administration.
Cheney said he thought her speech at last week's Republican convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, was "superb."
On CBS's Face the Nation Sunday, Senator McCain described himself as a force for change within the Republican Party by taking on big spenders and supporting campaign finance reform. McCain says if he is elected he would bring in Democrats and independents at the highest levels.
In an interview Sunday on ABC, Senator Obama said he was ready to make major changes that may be unpopular with Democrats, such as reducing litigation costs for doctors and increasing the size of the military.
Obama also said the war in Iraq was a poorly conceived mission with no clearly stated definition of victory.
The Democratic Party's vice-presidential nominee, Senator Joseph Biden, said Sunday that he considers Palin to be a formidable opponent. He told the NBC program "Meet the Press" that he wants to hear more about her stands on individual issues.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
