Ay-yay-yay. From Fox News (and Michelle Malkin has more, here):
Few sparks flew at the Columbia University event, hosted by ServiceNation. The candidates — who were interviewed separately — were encouraged to keep campaign politics to a minimum, out of respect for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
In that spirit, McCain at one point softened the language used by his running mate last week at the Republican National Convention, where she mocked Obama’s early days as a community organizer.
“Governor Palin was responding to the criticism of her inexperience, her job as a mayor in a small town,” McCain explained. “Of course I respect community organizers. Of course I respect people who’ve served their communities, and Senator Obama’s record there is outstanding.”