The Trail

EARLY BALLOTING

President, First Lady Vote for McCain-Palin

President Bush and first lady Laura Bush cast their ballots for Republican candidates John McCain and Sarah Palin on Friday as part of the early voting process in Texas, the White House said.

Press secretary Dana Perino said the ballots were to be mailed back to Texas on Friday. The president and the first lady will spend the night of the Nov. 4 elections at the White House, she said.

Barack Obama's campaign, sensing a fresh opportunity to tie McCain to Bush, quickly notified reporters of Bush's vote, sending out a mass e-mail containing the Associated Press story headlined "Bush votes early for McCain."

-- Dan Eggen

IN PITTSBURGH

McCain Volunteer Lied About Attack

PITTSBURGH -- A McCain campaign volunteer made up a story of being robbed, pinned to the ground and having the letter "B" scratched on her face in a politically inspired attack, police said Friday.

Ashley Todd, a 20-year-old college student from College Station, Tex., admitted Friday that the story was false. She was being charged with making a false report to police, said Maurita Bryant, the assistant chief of the police department's investigations division.

Todd, who is white, told police she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man Wednesday night. She cannot explain why she invented the story, Bryant said. She also told police she believes she cut the backward "B" onto her own cheek but didn't explain how or why, Bryant said.