THE Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, and his running mate, Sarah Palin, have come under intense pressure over distortions and half-truths.

A dozen columnists and editorials took Senator McCain to task over the weekend over an advertisement that claimed that his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, wanted to "teach children about sex before they can read". Senator Obama supported a bill for sex education in schools from kindergarten to year 12, but the early years of the program focused on stranger danger and inappropriate touching.

The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe have also carried investigative reports on claims made by Mrs Palin as Alaskan Governor, and during her six years as Mayor of Wasilla, a town of 7000 residents.