Democrats look at the GOP's continued surge with mounting concern:
--Democratic operative tells LA Times: The “freshness, newness and aura around Barack has been eclipsed. The campaign has been knocked off stride." Read key excerpts here.
--Panetta tells NY Observer: “They seem to be intimidated by the Palin pick... He has clearly got some problems out there." Read more here.
--NJ Rep. Pascrell tells Bloomberg: Obama campaign's "novelty has worn off" and "seems to have lost its speed, its response time.'' Read more here.
