The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News' Carrie Halperin, Jayce Henderson, and Amanda VanAllen

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HIS ADMINISTRATION

ABC News' Devin Dwyer: " Obama Taps Star-Power for Campaign Cash in Final Stretch" After a whirlwind month consumed by swing state campaigning and the Democratic National Convention, President Obama is back on the money trail next week for another round of star-studded New York City fundraisers, featuring Beyonce and Jay-Z. LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: " Obama Administration Distances Self From Statement Issued by US Embassy in Cairo" The Obama administration today distanced itself from a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. In a statement online, the Embassy of the United States in Cairo said that it "condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims - as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Paul Richter and Kathleen Hennessey: " White House plays down reports of Netanyahu snub" The White House struggled Tuesday to dispel reports that it had snubbed a request for a meeting this month from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as friction between the two allies again burst into the open. As Netanyahu stepped up his criticism of President Obama's approach to the Iran nuclear threat, Israeli officials disclosed that Netanyahu had sought unsuccessfully to schedule a meeting with Obama at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in New York. LINK

PRESIDENT CLINTON

The New York Times' Mark Landler: " Embracing Role as Surrogate, Clinton Hits Campaign Trail" Bill Clinton, fresh from an appearance at the Democratic convention that confirmed his status as President Obama's No. 1 surrogate and all-around B.F.F., took to the campaign trail in this battleground state on Tuesday, declaring that "we've got a lot of reasons to vote, and we've got a good candidate to vote for." Speaking to a sellout crowd of 2,300 at Florida International University, Mr. Clinton reprised much of the detail-laden defense of Mr. Obama's first term that he delivered in Charlotte, N.C. He lavished special attention on two particularly resonant issues in a state with many students and older voters: education loans and health care. LINK

Politico's Reid J. Epstein and Glenn Thrush: " Bill Clinton's roadshow: Risk vs. Reward" Bill Clinton isn't holding back. And that's mostly a good thing for Barack Obama. The former president was all fired up for his first real road test of the 2012 campaign, delivering a feisty recap of his much-praised keynote address at last week's Democratic convention in Charlotte - yet one that hinted at the inconsistency and lack of discipline that proved such a mixed blessing for his wife in 2008. LINK

PAUL RYAN

The Washington Post's Sean Sullivan: " Paul Ryan to run new TV ads for House campaign" Paul Ryan (Wis.) is the Republican nominee for vice president. But beginning this week, voters in Wisconsin's 1st district will also see new TV advertisements from his House campaign. Ryan's congressional campaign manager has confirmed that Ryan will spend $2 million on ads in the Milwaukee and Madison media markets. LINK

The Boston Globe's Matt Viser: " Paul Ryan campaigns for old job as he seeks bigger one" Paul Ryan has been busy preparing to face off next month with Vice President Joe Biden, cramming on foreign policy and trying to mesh his views with his new running mate, Mitt Romney. LINK

CAMPAIGN ADS/ SWING STATES

USA Today's Martha Moore: " Swing-state ads bill: $575M - so far" Mitt Romney and Barack Obama pulled campaign ads from television Tuesday, in deference to the 11th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, but that is likely to be the last day of quiet before the election. Presidential candidates and supporting groups have already spent $575 million on political ads in 12 swing states, according to an NBC News analysis released Tuesday. More than half the money, 55%, has been spent in the swing states of Florida, Ohio and Virginia. LINK

Bloomberg's Greg Giroux and Julie Bykowicz: " Republicans End Michigan Ads, Pushing Wisconsin Onto Map" Michigan and Pennsylvania are out; Wisconsin is in. The American presidential campaign has become a contest that will be decided in as few as nine states, creating a narrower and less-forgiving path for Republican Mitt Romney to secure the 270 Electoral College votes he needs to oust incumbent President Barack Obama. LINK

The Washington Times' Luke Rosiak: " Political-ad tsunami swamps southeast Virginia" Hampton Roads, the military-laden community on Virginia's southeastern shoreline, is drowning in advertising. It's a swing region at every level: Rep. E. Scott Rigell, a Republican, is in the toughest battle for re-election of any of the state's 11 congressmen, Virginia's U.S. Senate race between two state political heavyweights is among the most competitive in the nation, and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney needs to win in Hampton Roads in order to offset increasingly Democratic Northern Virginia. LINK

OBAMA & ROMNEY

The Wall Street Journal's Peter Nicholas: " Now Appearing, Regular Guys" One is a Harvard-educated Nobel Peace Prize winner who lives in the White House. The other is a Harvard-educated ex-governor and a millionaire many times over. This campaign season, and especially in recent days, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have taken pains to play down the elite image those descriptions convey. They instead are casting themselves as regular guys who like sports and, in Mr. Obama's case, a beer in the neighborhood bar. LINK

The Hill's Cameron Joseph: " GOP lawmakers fretting over darkening outlook" Some Republican lawmakers are worried about Mitt Romney's standing in swing-state polls, which show President Obama leading in a majority of the states that will decide the election. "If I were Obama I'd be nervous about the economy, but if I were Romney I'd be nervous about demographics," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told The Hill on Tuesday. LINK

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