(CNN) - Sen. John McCain on Monday recalled his family history and patriotic roots as he kicked off a tour to introduce himself to the general electorate.
"I have lived a blessed life, and the first of my blessings was the family I was born into," McCain said.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, speaking in Meridian, Mississippi, focused on how his upbringing and his family's military history shaped his views for the future. (Related video: McCain greets voters in Meridian, Mississippi)
"By all accounts, the McCains of Carroll County were devoted to one another and their traditions; a lively, proud and happy family on the Mississippi Delta," McCain said, describing the area considered his "ancestral home."
However dim their congressional prospects look this election year, Republicans are at least feeling pretty good about the state of play in Louisiana. The G.O.P. swept all but two statewide offices in last fall's elections, including the governors' office, where U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal replaced one-term Democrat Kathleen Blanco. Now Republicans have their sights set on an even bigger prize: the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Mary Landrieu.
Richardson recently endorsed Obama despite his longstanding ties to the Clintons.
(Photo credit: AP)
(CNN) - Barack Obama supporter Gov. Bill Richardson, D-New Mexico, responded on Sunday to controversial comments by James Carville, saying that he would not "stoop to Carville's level."
Carville, a Hillary Clinton supporter and former strategist for her husband's 1992 presidential campaign, compared Richardson to the Biblical figure Judas in an interview with the New York Times last week. When later asked whether his comment was accurate, Carville made no attempt to apologize, saying that it had "the desired effect."
"I haven't gotten into the gutter on this. And you know, I'm not going to stoop to Carville's level. I barely know the guy in the first place," Richardson told Bob Scheiffer on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Carville had argued that Richardson's endorsement of the Illinois senator was an act of betrayal since the governor has a long history of political ties with her husband. Richardson disagreed.
"I think loyalty to the nation, loyalty to the party is a lot more important than personal loyalty," he said. "I owe the Clintons a lot. I served in the president's cabinet. That loyalty is to President Clinton. That doesn't mean that I'm going to for the rest of my life be in lockstep with whatever they do."
Compiled by Jonathan Helman
CNN Washington Bureau
WSJ: Treasury Plan Is Called 'Inadequate' by Obama
Sen. Barack Obama described the Bush administration's sweeping changes to financial market regulation as "inadequate." While noting that he hadn't yet seen the full proposal, which Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will unveil Monday, the Illinois senator said that, based upon news reports, he believed the proposed regulatory reforms didn't go far enough, though he lauded the proposed consolidation of regulatory agencies.
Washington Times: Clinton, Obama Debate Electoral-Map Strategy
Central to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's argument that she would be the better Democratic presidential nominee are her Ohio victory, her wins in the West and lead in Pennsylvania — with her underlying message that Sen. Barack Obama can't carry such swing states in November. Mr. Obama, who rallied more than 20,000 at Penn State yesterday, disagrees, and charges that her campaign is using an old map in a new environment. His advisers say Mrs. Clinton is writing off potential Democratic pickups such as North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri.
Politico: Cash-Strapped Clinton Fails To Pay Bills
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s cash-strapped presidential campaign has been putting off paying hundreds of bills for months — freeing up cash for critical media buys but also earning the campaign a reputation as something of a deadbeat in some small-business circles.
NY Times: McCain Faces Test in Wooing Elite Donors
With attention focused on the Democrats’ infighting for the presidential nomination, Senator John McCain is pressing ahead to the general election but has yet to sign up one critical constituency: the big-money people who powered the Bush fund-raising machine.
Compiled by Jonathan Helman, CNN Washington Bureau
*Hillary Clinton hosts a roundtable discussion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attends a rally in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania.
*John McCain delivers a speech at the Mississippi State University and partakes in a community service event both in Meridian, Mississippi.
*Barack Obama attends a town hall meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
From CNN Politics
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