Sen. Ted Kennedy has been pushing health care reform from his home and speaking to President Obama about the legislation.

(CNN) – Ailing Senator Ted Kennedy, trying to help push health care reform as he recovers at his Massachusetts home from brain cancer, is talking to President Obama about the legislation.

Kennedy spokesman Anthony Coley confirmed to CNN that the President and Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) have spoken twice in the last two weeks.

Coley said Kennedy is closely watching developments on Capitol Hill from his home on Cape Cod. He monitors health care reform congressional hearings on television and reads daily news clips on the issue sent to him by his office staff, Coley said.

Meanwhile, the 77-year-old senator was spotted sailing this weekend in the waters near the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port.

Kennedy boarded his sailboat the "Mya" late Sunday afternoon, wearing an orange jacket, blue jeans, tennis shoes, sunglasses, and a white cap to protect his head and neck. He was surrounded by family members, including sons Ted Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Photographer David G. Curren said Kennedy appeared stronger than a week earlier. Kennedy rode a golf cart to get to the boat at the Hyannis Port Yacht Club. But he was able to stand up and get onto the boat with someone holding on to him.

Curren said Kennedy was in good spirits, and the photographerer said he was struck by Kennedy's wide smile. He said Kennedy goes on the water whenever he can, "and you can tell it's what he loves to do. He's generally smiling" when he sails.

The senator and his family were on Nantucket Sound for a few hours Sunday aboard his 50-foot boat.

Close to a month after holding a press conference and publicly admitting to having an extra-marital affair, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford penned an Op-ed published Sunday where he apologized again.

(CNN) – Embattled South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford tried a new tack Sunday to win forgiveness after admitting to an affair and being incommunicado while he left the state for several days.

A self-described "more contrite" Sanford wrote an op-ed, published in newspapers around South Carolina, vowing to "begin the journey of trying to get things more right with you and others."

Sanford had previously tried a news conference and several interviews which stirred more controversy over his admitted extramarital relationship with an Argentinian woman whom he called his "soul mate."

"I realize this op-ed does not do justice to the process of saying I am sorry," the two-term Republican wrote. "A handwritten note or a phone call would ultimately be more appropriate."

Sanford again admitted, "I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels." He said "life is... about way more than public standing or political views, it is about recognizing that none of us of are the arbiters of truth, that there are moral absolutes and that there is a God to whom we will all report for our actions.

"My failure has been more glaring on this front, where no public apology can make wrong right."

But Sanford wrote that he has been "humbled and broken as never before," and has "given up areas of control."

"It is my belief this will make me a better father, husband, friend and advocate."

Sanford, a strong-willed political figure who often sparred with legislative leaders, said that he is "committing to you and to the larger family of South Carolinians to use this experience to both trust God in his larger work of changing me, and from my end, to work to becoming a better and more effective leader."

Trying to heal political wounds deepened by the scandal, Sanford said, "I think all that has transpired will be particularly relevant in the way I deal with the legislative body and other state leaders going forward… as I begin these steps into the last 18 months of this administration, it will be indeed with a more contrite and humble spirit."

Sanford has taken trips with his wife Jenny and children trying to heal the wounds at home, including one this weekend. His family was not specifically mentioned in the op-ed, except for the one reference to being a father and husband.

In an interview with the Associated Press at the end of June, Sanford said he had previously "crossed the lines" with other women, though not "the ultimate line."

Updated: 2:52 p.m.

Obama will throw out the first pitch at Tuesday's All Star game.

(CNN) - He missed Opening Day while traveling in Europe, but President Obama gets his first moment on the mound Tuesday night.

The president will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in St. Louis. The White House said he is taking part to highlight his United We Serve program, with community service the center of the pre-game festivities.

Major League Baseball will honor five community volunteers as part of their "All-Stars Among Us" program. Obama and all living former presidents will appear in a community service video before the game.

After the video is shown, Obama will take the field at Busch Stadium and greet the six St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Fame players. He then will throw the first pitch to Cardinals' All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols.

MLB said the president will wear a specially made glove for his appearance, with a script Obama 44 and an American flag on it. The glove will then be sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

The president will travel to St. Louis after making remarks on the economy in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan earlier in the day.

Obama will become the fifth president to throw out the first pitch at an All-Star Game, but the first in 33 years.

UPDATE: At a photo opportunity with Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende Tuesday morning, Obama was asked if had been practicing for the nationally-televised pitch. "I think it's fair to say I wanted to loosen up my arm," he said. "I just want to keep (the pitch) high."

While this will be Obama's first trip to the mound as president, he has previous pitching experience. He threw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game in 2005, joking at the time that the pitch may not have topped 30 miles an hour, but it did clear the plate.

(CNN) - President Obama presented Pope Benedict XVI a letter from Sen. Edward Kennedy during their meeting at the Vatican Friday, and asked the Pontiff to pray for the senator, who is being treated for brain cancer.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters the president called the Massachusetts Democrat after the meeting. Gibbs said the two spoke for about 10 minutes as Air Force One left Rome heading for Ghana, "telling him he had delivered the letter on his behalf to the Pope."

The letter was described as personal. According to Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, "the contents of the letter were not known to anyone I know of except Senator Kennedy."

McDonough said Obama and the Pope discussed Kennedy at the end of their half-hour discussion. He told reporters the president "asked that the Holy Father pray for ...Sen. Kennedy, who as we all know is ill, and whose brother obviously broke an important barrier in our country by being the first Catholic president," according to a transcript released by the White House.

The 77-year-old Kennedy was diagnosed with the brain tumor after suffering seizures in May 2008.

(CNN) – It’s not just President Obama who has the occasional issue with the ever-present teleprompter. On Monday night the First Lady had her own hassle.

Addressing the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, Mrs. Obama noted she was having difficulty reading off of the device.

“I’d really be happy to use the teleprompters if they were higher," she said to laughter. "But they’re very low, so I’m going to read from my notes."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown misspoke during ceremonies for the 65th anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach, France,Saturday.

(CNN) – Even in a stirring, somber moment, the president’s last name can prove vexing to some.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown misspoke on stage during ceremonies for the 65th anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach, France, Saturday.

Discussing U.S.–Great Britain cooperation during the invasion, Brown said, “Next to Obama Beach, we join President Obama in paying particular tribute to the spectacular bravery of American soldiers who gave their lives”.

He stumbled again on a second reference to Omaha Beach before saying it correctly.

There was no reaction on the face of President Obama during the slip as he sat next to Britain's Prince Charles.

For Brown, the visit to Normandy was an escape from political pressures at home, where his government is under fire and a number of Cabinet members resigned this week. In a move some thought may be an effort to help the embattled Brown, the White House said Friday that Obama had called Brown on the eve of the trip to discuss the world economy and his speech to the Muslim world.

The White House statement noted, “President Obama looks forward to seeing Prime Minister Brown in Normandy on Saturday where they will continue their conversation.”

But even the respite from domestic politics for Brown didn’t bring an end to his rough week.

President Obama attended the graduation of 25 police recruits in Columbus, Ohio, in March, touting it as a victory for the federal stimulus package.

(CNN)– It was a success story the White House was eager to highlight: earlier this year, President Obama attended the graduation of 25 police recruits in Columbus, Ohio, touting it as a victory for the federal stimulus package.

Without the money, the officers never would have hit the streets. They were to be laid off before their first day of patrol - victims of city budget cuts - until the stimulus money saved the class.

But the White House said the $1.2 million grant only guaranteed their jobs until the end of the year. And facing a growing deficit and a fight to pass an income tax hike, Columbus Police Tuesday announced massive budget cuts that could mean hundreds of layoffs.

Among those who could lose their jobs if voters reject the increase: the 25 new officers who shook the president's hand.

Despite optimistic national headlines the day of the president's trip, city officials warned the influx of federal money wasn't going to be enough to end their financial crisis. President Obama acknowledged in his remarks the money was no silver bullet. “By itself, this recovery plan won't turn our economy around or solve every problem," he said then, and "this police force still faces budget challenges down the road."

The challenges, including a city deficit that could reach $120 million, would mean the loss of 324 officers, more than 15 percent of the force, under a budget unveiled by Chief Walter Distelzweig ."This is devastating," he told reporters Tuesday. "None of us signed up for this kind of task."

Distelzweig said under the 2010 budget plan, the department will focus on priority calls and maintaining public safety. "Policing in this city will change as we know it today," he said. "…[W]e're going to do less with less."

He stressed the cuts are not final, and city voters are being asked to approve an income tax hike in an August ballot. The half-percent increase, if passed, could avoid the firings and furloughs. Distelzweig said the announced cuts are not meant to be a threat to voters. "It's math - whatever money is available," he said.

Columbus is not alone, of course, in its budget crisis. To its south, Cincinnati is looking at job cuts and reduction in services because of a higher-than-expected deficit. Smaller cities like Mansfield, 60 miles to its north, have been forced to lay off up to a third of its officers. CNNMoney.com this week reported 16 states around the nation have raised taxes this year, with proposed increases in 17 others.

Looking at the graduates receiving their diplomas that day, President Obama said, “this economy needs your employment to keep it running."

"I look into their eyes and I see their badges today, and I know that we did the right thing," he told the crowd on March 6. "These jobs and the jobs of so many other police officers and teachers and firefighters all across Ohio will now be saved because of this recovery plan."

The grant did its job, and funded the class for a year. But local budget problems took over. And the 25 officers, a hopeful symbol that day for the White House, may turn into a grimmer example of financial realities still facing communities around the country.

Powell and Limbaugh have been engaged in a war of words over the GOP's future.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Secretary of State Colin Powell struck back Sunday at critics of his decision to support Barack Obama's presidential candidacy last year.

Calling for his divided party to widen its ranks, Powell declared, "I am still a Republican."

In an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, Powell responded to attacks from former Vice President Dick Cheney and talk show host Rush Limbaugh, saying they are "not members of the membership committee of the Republican Party."

"Rush will not get his wish, and Mr. Cheney was misinformed. I am still a Republican", he said. "I would like to point out that in the course of my 50 years of voting for presidents, I have voted for the person I thought was best qualified at that time to lead the nation. Last year, I thought it was President Barack Obama. For the previous 20 years, I voted solidly for Republican candidates."

Earlier this month on the same program, Cheney was asked about a dispute between Limbaugh and Powell over the role each plays in the GOP. "My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican," Cheney responded.

Powell said Sunday that he didn't want to trade insults with Limbaugh, but that he thought it was "unfortunate" Limbaugh framed his support of Obama along racial lines.

Limbaugh, on his radio program, argued that Powell supported Obama "solely based on race."

Discussing divisions over the direction of the party in the wake of its losses in the 2006 midterm elections and 2008 presidential election, Powell said Sunday the party should expand its base.

"I have always felt that the Republican Party should be more inclusive than it generally has been over the years and I believe that we need a strong Republican Party that is not just anchored in the base but has built on the base to include more individuals. And if we don't do that, if we don't reach out more, the party is going to be sitting on a very, very narrow base," he told "Face the Nation."

Powell added, "Let's debate the future of the party and let all segments in… What we have to do is debate and define who we are and what we are, and not just listen to dictates that come down from the right wing of the party."

Ken Salazar is one of two members of the president’s cabinet who has been mentioned for the court vacancy.

(CNN) – Colorado’s top elected Democrats are urging President Obama to look west for his Supreme Court nominee – pushing the Secretary of the Interior, native son Ken Salazar, for the opening.

Gov. Bill Ritter and Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennett sent the letter to the White House Thursday asking Salazar be given “serious consideration for this crucial appointment”.

In the letter, they said Salazar “brings the perspective of a Westerner and one of the Hispanic community’s leading voices.” Describing his rise from “humble beginnings in Colorado’s rural San Luis Valley” to state Attorney General and senator, they tout him as a contender “who can add a new perspective to the court.”

Salazar is one of two members of the president’s cabinet who has been mentioned for the court vacancy, along with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

The President may name his pick to replace Justice Souter as soon as Tuesday.

(CNN) - President Barack Obama wants a combination of "intellectual firepower" and a '"common touch" in the next Supreme Court justice, but said he doesn't feel "weighed down" by race or gender in his decision.

With a nomination potentially just days away, Obama was asked in a C-SPAN interview what he would tell his wife, Michelle Obama, his daughters and his mother-in-law if he didn't choose a woman.

"Actually I can't tell you the number of women, including Michelle, who say, 'Choose the person you think is going to be best,'" Obama responded.

He said, "I think in any given pick, my job is to just find somebody who I think is going to make a difference on the courts and look after the interest of the American people. And so, I don't feel weighed down by having to choose a Supreme Court justice based on demographics. I certainly think that ultimately we want a Supreme Court that is reflective of the incredible variety of the American people."

Obama said he thought it was "safe to say" the announcement about the Supreme Court justice, who will replace retiring Justice David Souter, would come soon, although he offered no specific date.

Full story

(CNN) - A snake caused trouble in the Missouri State Capitol Tuesday.

That's not a personal attack on a politician or a lobbyist. A real-life snake slithered into underground power cables in downtown Jefferson City, plunging the Capitol Building into darkness right in the middle of the debates in the House and Senate.

The blackout happened during the final week of a contentious legislative session. In the Senate, lawmakers were debating a resolution to block any Guantanamo Bay detainees from being moved to prisons in the state. Representatives in the House were about to vote on an anti-bullying measure.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch political reporter Tony Messenger, who was in the chamber when the lights went out, said the leadership decided they could see, so the sessions continued. With candles burning in hallways and offices, Messenger said it became "a hat tip to the senators who served in the building many, many years ago."

With no power for the automated boards, lawmakers voted the old-fashioned way. Procedures took a long time, Messenger said, as opposed to the instant electronic votes. Since the bells to notify members of votes were inoperable, legislative doormen were sent to bring everyone into the chambers.

But even as they resorted to the methods of days gone by, lawmakers used their Blackberries to Twitter through the blackout. State Rep. Jason Kander of Kansas City wrote: "Everyone is seated. Listening to debate. We should always have the power go out."

Capitol Police Chief Todd Hurt told CNN everything ran smoothly through the blackout. The biggest problem was people stuck in elevators: Most were able to get out on their own, but emergency crews had to rescue three people who were trapped.

No one was hurt, and the only casualty was the three-foot long snake. Electric company spokeswoman Susan Gallagher said it ended up between two cables, shorting them out. "I've been here 18 years and it's the first time I've seen this," she said. "How he squeezed in there, we'll never know."

Messenger said the snake caused plenty of buzz in political circles, noting reports of a political corruption investigation "made the snake metaphor have a little more meaning."

"Jokes were plentiful all day," he said.

The throwback sessions lasted just an hour as power was restored and modern conveniences returned.

ATLANTA (CNN) – A political surprise created a wide open race for Georgia governor next year, as the leading Republican contender was forced to drop out Wednesday because of medical problems.

An emotional Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle announced he was leaving the race because he will undergo surgery on his neck and spinal cord to fix nerve damage. Choking up and pausing to fight back tears, he called the decision to withdraw "difficult personally," but said we "are all dealt certain cards that we have to face."

At least three other Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination to replace outgoing Governor Sonny Perdue. The GOP is trying to hold the Governor's office after winning it in 2002 in Georgia for the first time since Reconstruction. Three Democrats are already in the race as well.

The 43-year-old Cagle had been positioning to succeed Perdue, and said "things were strongly moving our way."

Cagle said he believed the "state is at a crossroads" in the 2010 election, but was "at peace with his decision."

"I feel a deep obligation to Georgia's future, but I also have a strong sense of duty to my family," he said. "Georgia needs a strong governor, but (my wife) Nita and my boys also need a dad who can provide for them well into the future. The only way I can balance both obligations is make the difficult decision to end our campaign."

Cagle said he will seek re-election as lieutenant governor instead. He said after that the complicated operation, "the good news is that my odds of making a full recovery without long term nerve or muscle damage are high. Left untreated, the lasting affects could be severe." He sought treatment after experiencing pains in his shoulder, chest and back.

University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said the stunning announcement from Cagle "further confuses" the race, with Cagle so far "running far ahead of the opposition."

He said several high-profile Republicans "may reassess the race" with Cagle out. He said attention could focus on the Georgia congressional delegation, where Congressman Jack Kingston and Lynn Westmoreland had previously decided not to seek the Governor's office.

Bullock said "there may be some pressure put upon" Sen. Johnny Isakson to reconsider running as well.

On the Democratic side, Bullock said the changing GOP landscape may also nudge former Gov. Roy Barnes, defeated for re-election by Perdue in 2002, close to entering the race. Bullock said he would immediately become the "Democrat with the greatest name recognition."

A Missouri official apologized to Rep. Ron Paul for a report linking him to a militia group.

(CNN) - The head of the Missouri Department of Public Safety has apologized to U.S. Rep. Ron Paul and two other former presidential candidates for a state law enforcement report linking militia groups to the candidates. State officials killed the report late Wednesday.

The report connected the three to often-armed militia groups by saying militia members are "usually supporters of former presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr."

Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas, unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for president then announced his support for other third-party presidential candidates. Baldwin ran for president on the Constitution Party ticket, and Barr was the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate.

The report, prepared by the state's Information Analysis Center, was sent to police departments around the state. Public Safety Director John Britt said the intelligence report, was intended to "identify certain traits that are sometimes shared by members of militia groups."

But it generated controversy when a copy of the report was leaked publicly.

Page 7 of the report said "militia members most commonly associate with third party political groups. It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitution Party, Campaign for Liberty or Libertarian material. These members are usually supporters of former presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr."

In a letter of apology to the former candidates, Britt wrote that "portions of that report may be easily misconstrued by readers as offensive to supporters of certain political candidates or to those candidates themselves. I regret that those components were ultimately included in the final report."

"This report was too easily misinterpreted as suggesting that militia members may be identified by no other indicator than support for a particular candidates or political organization," Britt said. "This is an undesired and unwarranted outcome."

Britt told the candidates the "mistaken inclusion of this information" would be edited out of the "offending report." He said the updated report would drop all references to political parties or candidates' names.

But late Wednesday, state officials decided to kill the entire report.

State Highway Patrol Superintendent James Keathley said, "Law enforcement officers require intelligence of the highest quality and the report in question does not meet that standard. For that reason, I have ordered (the agency) to permanently cease distribution of the report."

Keathley ordered a new process for overseeing intelligence reports, requiring the superintendent and director to review the content before they are sent to department.

A spokeswoman for Paul, Rachel Mills, told CNN the congressman considered the original report a "grave infraction, but was pleased to receive the retraction."

Missouri Libertarian Party spokesman Mike Ferguson said, "This is a case where the government has responded to the public's objection, re-evaluated a controversial practice and responded by addressing the problem."

He said the report's intentions were proper, saying the party "shares the Department of Public Safety's goal to keep our highway patrol troopers safe as they perform the important and dangerous work of law enforcement. The party stands ready and willing to be part of any discussion that will help avoid conflicts like this in the future."

Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder called Wednesday for Britt to be put on immediate administrative leave while the report is investigated. He supported calls for the director to be subpoenaed by the Missouri legislature to answer questions about it.

Kinder questioned the report also including references to anti-immigration and anti-abortion organizations. A spokesman for Kinder said, "We're not juvenile enough to believe there are not extremists in any organization," but he said other groups with radical fringes were not included. He said the types of groups mentioned were supportive of conservative causes.

The spokesman, Gary McElyea, said the updated report would still include references of those type of organizations, saying, "This doesn't do anything to alleviate the concern of conservatives."

Kinder also expressed concern Britt had not read the report before it was sent to the departments.

Paul's spokesperson would not comment on whether Paul wanted any action taken against the director.

Jindal is still in recovery mode after his widely-panned speech.

(CNN) – Is Bobby Jindal following in Bill Clinton’s footsteps?

In 1988, the then-Arkansas governor was considered a hot pick as a future presidential candidate for his party.

That was before “the speech.”

Awarded a high-profile speaking gig at the Democratic Convention, Clinton nearly derailed his national political future with a disastrous performance. The speech was widely panned, and ran so long the crowd actually cheered when he said “in conclusion.”

But living up to his nickname of “Comeback Kid,” Clinton helped bury the poor speech with an appearance on the Tonight Show, where he emerged laughing as host Johnny Carson poked fun with a long, rambling introduction. And in a memorable moment, Clinton said the speech “wasn’t my finest hour. Or even hour and a half.”

Flash forward to last week, when Jindal, the Louisiana governor and rising Republican star, was tapped to give the GOP response to President Obama’s address to the nation. Like Clinton, Jindal’s speech was badly received, and some of the buzz over his future dimmed.

But a week that included comparisons of Jindal to the 30 Rock character Kenneth the Page ended on a far more dignified note: Jindal was profiled on 60 Minutes. Tonight, he appears on CNN’s “Larry King Live”.

The venues are different than the one Clinton chose – serious interview segments rather than late-night comedy. And the 60 Minutes segment wasn’t a last-minute add like Clinton’s “Tonight Show” cameo. But they offer the same opportunity: damage control.

Emory University political science professor Merle Black said Jindal, like Clinton, “is trying to minimize the losses and replace them with a positive image with voters.”

Black said that many politicians would have “hid under the bushes over that kind of thing,” not emerge days later to confront a botched performance, as Clinton did. Clinton was able to laugh at himself, and “humanize himself” with the audience.

“Jindal is trying to follow that model,” said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider. It’s not the late-night circuit, but he is “presenting a different side of himself, a more attractive and more appealing side of himself.”

Schneider said some of Jindal’s problems may have come from his use of a tele-prompter. His latest television appearances show him in a much more natural setting. And while it was a rough week for Jindal, Schneider said damage control is important because “a week is a lifetime in politics, three years is an eternity.” If Jindal did not re-emerge right away, “he would have been a joke for a while.”

The Louisiana governor used a few self-deprecating comments Monday at a news conference with home state reporters at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. In advance text of his comments, distributed by his aides, Jindal said he was “not nearly as good a speaker as the president. I'm not alone in this opinion. ... I tried slowing down, and now they're saying I spoke too slowly.”

The Times-Picayune said Jindal joked he didn’t mind the jibes comparing him to Mr. Rogers, as opposed to some of the colorful politicians in Louisiana’s history.

Florida’s troubled real estate market has been one symptom of the state’s economic woes.

(CNN) – When Air Force One touches down in Fort Myers, Florida, Tuesday morning, the weather will be different than northern Indiana. Little else will be.

President Barack Obama won't see anyone in earmuffs at the airport or remnants of dirty snow along the motorcade route to the town hall meeting. But like their rust belt compatriots in Elkhart, residents in Lee County are among the hardest hit by the economic downturn.

Fort Myers restaurant manager Debbie Kendall sees it every day.

"People are very nervous," she said of her customers. "Maybe even scared. Everything is so up in the air."

The cold, hard numbers: Unemployment in the Gulf Coast community was 2.3 percent at this time in 2006. By last winter, it was 6 percent. The latest numbers put the jobless rate in Lee County at 10 percent. That translates to 28,396 people looking for work.

The numbers were different Monday morning, but very telling. Hundreds lined up outside the Harborside Event Center waiting for tickets to the president's town hall meeting. They began waiting in line over the weekend. Many camped out overnight, with tents and sleeping bags springing up near the front door.

When she arrived for early Monday, a convention center worker said it was "line upon line upon line." It took less than an hour for all the tickets to be given away.

The huge turnout won't completely be a sign of support for the new president. This is a county where candidate Obama wasn't the rock star during the campaign. He didn't visit Fort Myers, and he lost Lee County by ten points to John McCain. Then-vice presidential candidate Joe Biden held an economic roundtable there in September, in the same convention center where Obama speaks Tuesday.

The White House, trying to take the debate over the stimulus out of divided Washington with these campaign-style events, paints the Florida gathering as bipartisan. They announced the state's popular Republican governor, Charlie Crist, will attend the town rally and introduce the president. Obama said in a statement, "we agree that we can't allow politics to get in the way of urgent relief for the millions of families and small businesses that need it."

But not all politics will be overshadowed. The event is in the district of Republican Congressman Connie Mack, who voted against the stimulus bill in the House and will not be there Tuesday. His spokesman said he will be in Washington for votes. She said that Mack was "informed about the town hall but not invited."

Mack wrote an open letter to President Obama, published Monday in two newspapers in the district. In it, Mack wrote, "History has proven that we can't spend our way to prosperity. Our children and grandchildren deserve better than to inherit a future of more government, more spending and more debt. ...

He added, "Mr. President, listen to the people. Take their message to heart. And let us go down the road to economic prosperity through less taxing, less spending, less government and more freedom."

At Clancey's, a busy restaurant along McGregor Boulevard, Kendall said politics and the economy are daily topics.

"Historically this is a very Republican area. But people are hoping some of the ideas (Obama) is bringing in can turn things around," she told CNN by phone. Some voters who in November didn't vote for Obama, she said, "are giving him the benefit of the doubt."

Watch Clinton and Bush 41 name their regrets as president.

(CNN) - Two former presidents reflected on their greatest regrets in office Monday, each looking back to issues that continue to plague the nation years later.

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton appeared together at a question-and-answer forum before the National Automobile Dealers Association in New Orleans.

Asked his biggest regret after leaving office, Bush said he now wonders whether he should have tried to get Saddam Hussein to leave office at the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. He told the gathering, "I've thought a lot about it, but at the end of Desert Storm the question was should we have kind of kept going on that road to death and all this slaughter until Saddam Hussein showed up and laid his sword on the table, surrendered. And the common wisdom was he wouldn't do that."

But he said a conversation with an FBI agent who interrogated Saddam after he was captured has made him reconsider. Bush recalled their talk, "I said, what if we just say he has to come to surrender, would he have done it?

And this guy said, I'm absolutely convinced he would have. My experts tell me he wouldn't have."

Bush said, "We ended it the way we said we would" as a military success, but noted a cleaner ending "would have been perfect."

He added, "If we had tried to get Saddam Hussein to come and literally surrender and put his sword on the table, I think it might have been avoided some of the problems that we did have in the future from him."

On a day that President Barack Obama dispatched George Mitchell to the Middle East as the latest U.S. envoy, Clinton discussed the failure to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians. He said, "my No. 1 regret is that I was not able to persuade Yasser Arafat to accept the peace plan I offered at the end of my presidency that the Israelis accepted."

He said, "If he had done that ... we had had seven years of progress toward peace. We had one year in 1998, the only year in the history of Israel where not a single soul was killed in a terrorist act. The Palestinians had more control over West Bank then, than they do today. And if he had taken that deal, we would have a Palestinian state and we would have had I think now normal peaceful relations with Israel and all of its Arab neighbors."

Clinton said a deal would have helped the U.S. handle other issues in the region, saying, "We'd be much better positioned to deal with problem of Iran and we would have taken away about half the arguments of terrorists around the world by giving the Palestinians their state and creating a cooperative, positive interdependence in the Middle East, not a negative one. And so, I think that would have done more good to save more lives and help more people, and I wish I had been able to do that. "

Clinton also said he regretted not doing more to "stop the Rwandan genocide," and succeeding on a new health care plan.

He said "presidents should share freely … the mistakes they made" with historians, because it teaches lessons. He said he shared problems during the lunch with Obama and the four living presidents, saying, "You want each new president to make new mistakes, not the same ones."

Clinton added, "all of us know if you make enough decisions, you're going to make a few of them aren't right."

The Obamas went to a Washington, DC church Sunday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) –- President-elect Barack Obama and his family attended services at a historic Washington church Sunday morning, but his transition office said no final decision has been made on the family’s congregation in their new home town.

Obama went to the 19th Street Baptist Church Sunday morning with wife Michelle, daughters Sasha and Malia, and his mother-in-law Marian Robinson. The family, which received a standing ovation from the congregation as they came in, sat in the second row, with Obama himself sitting on the aisle.

A pool reporter inside the church said Obama sang along during the hymn “Blessed Assurance” near the beginning of the service. A pastor ended a prayer with a theme of the Obama campaign, adding “yes we can” to “in the name of Jesus we pray, amen.”

The sermon was partially directed at Obama, two days before he takes office. Entitled “For Such a Time as This,” it included a message about God preparing people for the challenges they face.

Pastor Derrick Harkins said, “While I am tasked with preaching to everyone who is here, let me step to the side with you Mr. President-elect, for just a moment…Perhaps, just perhaps, you are where you are for such a time as this.”

He added, “Oh yes, it's fair to say that it was votes of the people that placed you. But I stand with all due certainty to say that it will be God's strength that sustains you."

The congregation had been told a special guest was coming, and some guessed who it would be when the time of the service was moved back an hour. The lower level of the church was 90 percent full, a larger turnout than average, according to one church member.

The pool reporter inside the church said the pastor acknowledged Obama at the beginning of a two-minute greeting period during the service. The family talked with several people who gathered around them. Obama was seen putting an envelope into the offering tray.

The Obamas listened to a children’s choir perform during the service. Three of them then recited individual lines saying,” Martin Luther King walked so that Barack Obama could run. Barack Obama ran so that all children could fly. Yes we can. Yes I can.”

The church organist played “We Shall Overcome” as the Obamas left the church.
As the Obamas left, they waved to a crowd that had gathered outside.

The family has not belonged to a church since May 2008, when Obama resigned from the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, after the controversy over comments by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The transition team said the Obamas have not yet decided if this will be church in Washington.

Obama’s Director of Religious Affairs said, “The Obamas are honored to worship this Sunday at Nineteenth Street and look forward to learning more about many churches in the District. They will choose a church home at a time that is best for their family.”

Nineteenth Street Baptist Church was founded in the Northwest area of the District of Columbia in 1839, keeping its name but moving to a new location on 16th Street in 1975. The church describes itself as “at the center of Washington’s community and social life for more than a century.” It says many Washington-area Baptist churches can trace their roots to its former members.

President Bush has made his final flight aboard Air Force One.

(CNN) – President Bush has flown on Air Force One to Washington for the last time.

The President and Mrs. Bush landed at Andrews Air Force Base at 3:20 pm, ending their final flight aboard Air Force One. They returned to Norfolk, Virginia, where the USS George H.W. Bush was commissioned Saturday morning.

Watch an Air Force One inaugural kickoff in Washington

Air Force One, with President Bush still on board, taxied directly into its hangar at the base. The president met privately with workers who are part of the presidential airlift group that handled operations for the planes.

White House spokesperson Dana Perino said President Bush wasn’t aware this was his last flight on Air Force One until he was told by an interviewer.

The next time he’ll be on the plane, it will be as a former president being flown back to Texas after President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office. The plane will have a different designation for that flight, since it is only Air Force One when the sitting president is on board.

The President and First Lady will attend a welcome home event in Midland, Texas on Inauguration Day.

(CNN) –- The White House said Wednesday President Bush will go directly to Midland, Texas after leaving Washington on Inauguration Day.
 
White House spokesperson Dana Perino said the President and First Lady Laura Bush will leave Andrews Air Force Base, and fly to Midland for a “welcome home event” in Centennial Plaza on the town square. They will fly on one of the jets he used as Air Force One during his presidency, though it will have a different designation that day.
 
Midland was the site of his send-off rally when he left for Washington before taking office in January 2001. The president lived in Midland as he was growing up, and it is the first lady’s hometown.  
 
The President and Mrs. Bush will then fly to Waco, and go to their ranch in Crawford for the first night after leaving the White House.

What's behind the candidates technical difficulties?.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio (CNN) – In the final days of a presidential campaign, nothing is left to chance. With so much planning and set-up going into every stop, no detail is too small. So everything runs with clockwork precision, right? Uh, yeah, sure. But when events veer slightly off course, the candidates are quick to point some playfully partisan fingers.

In Reno on Saturday, Barack Obama’s microphone died mid-sentence during a rally. He walked the stage and shook hands for the three minutes while crews worked on the problem. When the sound came back, he told the crowd as he resumed, “Hello, hello, hello! I told you folks are having trouble making their electricity bills. Either that or somebody from the McCain campaign kicked our plug out of the socket. That was just a joke, guys, there’s no evidence of foul play. Now, where was I?”

Sunday, the lights went out over the stage during the introductions to John McCain at a high school in Zanesville, Ohio, Senator Lindsey Graham was left speaking in the shadows, filling until the problem was fixed so McCain could take the stage. To laughter, McCain said as he began, “Thank you for the warm welcome. I think the lighting is brought to you courtesy of the Democratic National Committee.”

At least we think they’re being playful.

(CNN) - Several protesters tried to block the motorcade of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in Grand Junction, Colorado on Monday afternoon, but police dragged them out of the way in a dramatic encounter.

The incident - just feet from the car carrying Palin - was captured on video by CNN affiliate KKCO-TV.

Eight to 10 protesters broke away from a larger group of demonstrators and darted into the street in front of Palin's car just after the first police motorcycles in her motorcade had passed, said Acting Chief Troy Smith of the Grand Junction Police Department.

Wearing bandanas and with faces covered, they blocked the path and held up a large banner. Officers in the motorcade stopped their motorcycles, and grabbed protesters, dragging several out of the path of the oncoming motorcade.

At least two demonstrators were tackled and forced to the ground before being pulled away. One officer fell backwards into the path of an approaching vehicle but he was able to get out of the way in time.

Palin's vehicle passed without a problem as other protesters chanted on the sidewalk, about a block from a site where Palin had addressed a rally.

Smith said officers saved the protesters from injury because "the motorcade likely would not have stopped" for them. He said "we don't know what their intentions were" in trying to block Palin's motorcade.

Investigators in Grand Junction are reviewing videotapes to try to identify suspects in an "active criminal investigation," Smith said. The Secret Service is not involved in the investigation, he said.

The protesters were members of a group called "Red Pill," Smith said. A Web site that carried an announcement of the group's planned protest urged supporters to show Palin "that we as a community say no to war, no to corporate cronyism, and no to four more years of Bush-style leadership." It
encouraged people to bring "drums, noise makers, and your strength."

McCain and Palin are increasingly suggesting Obama is a socialist.

CONCORD, North Carolina (CNN) – John McCain stepped up his rhetoric against Barack Obama on taxes in his weekly radio address, comparing his plan to 'socialist' programs that would “convert the IRS into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth.”

The remarks were part of a theme McCain has used since the final presidential debate that criticizes Obama’s philosophy, but his most recent comments were the first time he directly invoked the word 'socialist.'

In the radio address that aired Saturday morning, McCain didn't directly call Obama a socialist, but he let the now-famous Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher nearly do it for him.

“You see, [Obama] believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that help us all make more of it. Joe in his plainspoken way, said this sounded a lot like socialism,” McCain said.

In an interview with ABC last week, Wurzelbacher said Obama's proposal to raise taxes by 3 percent on those making $250,000 and over is a "very socialist view."

Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin has used the word in speeches the last two days as well.

Also in the pre-taped radio address, McCain said, “At least in Europe, the socialist leaders who so admire my opponent are upfront about their objectives. They use real numbers and honest language. And we should demand equal candor from Senator Obama. Raising taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut it's just another government giveaway.”

McCain did not repeat the wording in his appearance at a rally in Concord, but did allude to those European socialist countries that like to "spread the wealth around."

"Spread the wealth around. We have seen that movie before in other countries and attempts by the liberal left before," McCain said.

In his speech, McCain also said said, “This explains some big problems with my opponent's claim that he will cut income taxes for 95 percent of Americans. You might ask: How do you cut income taxes for [95] percent of Americans, when more than 40 percent pay no income taxes right now? How do you reduce the number zero? That's the key to Barack Obama's whole plan: Since you can't reduce taxes on those who pay zero, the government will write them all checks called a tax credit. And the Treasury will have to cover those checks by taxing other people…the Obama tax increase would come at the worst possible time for America.”

Asked why McCain used the word socialist in the radio remarks, a spokesman told CNN, “That’s what it is, 'spreading the wealth' around is socialism.”

In a July interview with the Kansas City Star, McCain said Obama had the “most extreme” record in the Senate. He said at the time in a comment he has since repeated on the trail, “his voting record… is more to the left than the announced socialist in the United States Senate, Bernie Sanders of Vermont."

Pressed if he considered Obama a socialist, McCain shrugged and said, “I don't know."

In remarks this week, Palin has referred to Obama’s encounter with Wurzelbacher in Ohio last Sunday. At a rally in West Chester, Ohio Friday where one banner in the crowd read, “Obama is a Socialist/Marxist," Palin said, “Joe suggested that that sounded a little bit like socialism,” she said. “Whatever you call it, I call it bad medicine for an ailing economy, and it’s what Barack Obama will do to those who want to create jobs and we’re willing to call Barack Obama on it.”

In North Carolina Saturday, McCain also invoked the specter of a huge filibuster proof Democratic majority in the house.

“By the way did you happen to see that Speaker Pelosi said she anticipates a 250 seat majority, “said McCain to loud boos from the crowd. “My friends we can’t let that happen. They’ll raise taxes and increase spending and they will concede defeat in Iraq.”

A 30-minute Obama ad will delay a game 6 of the World Series.

(CNN) – The Republican National Committee took aim at Barack Obama Wednesday over the Illinois senator's half-hour ad buy that will delay the start of a World Series game by 18 minutes.

"It’s unfortunate that the World Series’ first pitch is being delayed for Obama’s political pitch," RNC spokesman Alex Conant said. "Not only is Obama putting politics before principle, he’s putting it before our national pastime.”

Major League Baseball has agreed to a request from Fox to delay the start time of Game 6 of the World Series (if a Game 6 is necessary) so the network can air the 30-minute Obama spot, a Fox spokesman confirms to CNN. The Illinois senator has also bought similar time on CBS and NBC, set to begin at 8 p.m.

“FOX will accommodate Senator Obama's desire to communicate with voters in this...format," Fox spokesman Scott Gorgin said. "We are pleased that Major League Baseball has agreed to delay the first pitch of World Series Game 6 for a few minutes in order for FOX to carry his program on October 29."

It's the first time a presidential candidate has bought that length of airtime on network television since Ross Perot purchased several 30 minute blocs in 1992.

"This is a big platform, this is a big megaphone, the interest level is clearly there and people will watch," Evan Tracey of Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on campaign advertising said.

The October 29 game will now start at 8:38 instead of 8:20.

Sen. John McCain spent part of the day making phone calls to make sure negotiations go well on the bailout plan.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A top aide to Senator John McCain said the Republican presidential candidate will not go to Capitol Hill Saturday afternoon, as negotiators meet to work out a deal on the financial bailout plan.

Senior adviser Mark Salter just told reporters outside McCain’s campaign headquarters in Arlington, VA that the Senator will instead continue to make calls to members of Congress.

Salter said he will not go because “he can effectively do what he needs to do by phone. "He’s calling members on both sides, talking to people in the administration, helping out as he can.’’ The campaign said it will release a list of people McCain spoke with later Saturday.

Senator Barack Obama, traveling for campaign events in North Carolina and Virginia, spoke Saturday with Congressman Barney Frank, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Senator Harry Reid, his campaign said. The Democratic presidential candidate was briefed on the latest with the negotiations.

McCain returned to Washington early Saturday morning from Memphis following last night’s debate because of the bailout situation. He decided to deliver a Saturday evening speech by satellite to a group in Columbus rather than traveling there in person.

Salter said, “We hope to have a deal in place so we can get back on the trail.”

Update: According to the McCain campaign, the Republican nominee called President Bush, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Sen. Judd Gregg, Sen. Jon Kyl, Leader Boehner, Rep. Blunt, Rep. Putnam, Rep. Cantor, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Chip Pickering, Rep. Heather Wilson, Rep. John Shadegg, Rep. Flake, and Rep. Marsha Blackburn on Saturday.

OXFORD, Mississippi (CNN) – Senator John McCain dropped in on a vocal group of supporters near the University of Mississippi campus late Friday night after his face-off with rival Barack Obama, asking the crowd: “Do you think we showed them who's qualified to be commander-in-chief?”

McCain, joined by his wife Cindy and daughter Meghan, visited a debate watching party at the club Lyric on Oxford Square. A smiling McCain briefly addressed the crowd of about 1,000 backers, “I'm overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and support ,and I want to say that I thank you all for being here. I want to tell you that I will not let you down.”

He talked about his family’s roots in the state, and his time stationed at the Naval Air Station in Meridian. To loud cheers, he said, “I hope I made you proud tonight. I'm grateful for your friendship, I'm grateful for your support and I can't think of a better place to be than Oxford, Mississippi."

McCain then boarded the Straight Talk Express to drive 90 minutes to Memphis. He will fly back to Washington overnight.

Jindal may skip the GOP convention.

(CNN) – Hurricane Gustav, currently moving toward the Gulf of Mexico, may force Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to skip next week’s Republican Convention.

Three years to the week since Hurricane Katrina battered the Louisiana coast, some forecast models suggest the storm could pose another threat to the state next week.

Jindal, reported to be on John McCain's shortlist for VP, told reporters in Baton Rouge Tuesday afternoon he will not go to St Paul if the storm continues to move in a northwesterly track toward his state.

Considered to be a rising star in the Republican Party, Jindal is scheduled to deliver a high-profile address in prime time at the convention next Wednesday. But he said, “My first priority is with the state of Louisiana. Certainly if the storm continues to come our way, I’ll change my travel plans.”

Louisiana officials along with local and federal authorities face criticism for their preparation and response to Katrina in 2005, before Jindal was in office. He said his would make sure he was in place ahead of the storm’s potential arrival, saying, “Days before the storm, we’ll make sure that we and our local partners are fully prepared.”

(CNN) – Police in the city that will host the Republican National Convention next week are looking for suspects in the vandalism of Barack Obama’s St. Paul campaign offices.

Police spokesman Peter Panos said the incident occurred just after 1 a.m. CT Sunday. Arriving officers found two large plate glass windows shattered, a glass door “smashed out,” and paint splattered inside and outside the building.

The storefront offices on Raymond Avenue had several Obama campaign signs hanging on it. The signs remained on some of the broken windows while large shards of glass covered the sidewalk in front of the building and the floor inside.

One campaign worker was in a lower level of the building when the vandalism occurred. Panos said they do not believe the suspects were aware anyone was inside, and “their intent was not to hurt anyone.” He said no threats were received, and the incident is being investigating as a local property crime case. Federal authorities were not alerted.

Police are reviewing security videotapes from nearby businesses to see if any suspects could be identified. They have issued an appeal for anyone with information to contact officers or a Crimestoppers tip line.

(CNN) - Federal and local officials are on the scene of a threatening letter with white powder received at John McCain’s regional campaign office outside Denver, in suburban Englewood, Colorado.

At 3 p.m. MT, a staffer in the McCain Denver office opened a letter containing a threatening letter and a quantity of white powder," McCain Spokesman Jeff Sadosky told CNN's Justine Redman. "Staff immediately contacted local and federal law enforcement. Staff are taking all necessary precautions, including checking in with medical professionals"

“Agents and Officers are responding," United States Secret Service Spokesman Malcolm Wiley who is in Denver also tells CNN's Jim Spellman.

Biden is a powerful Senate ally of Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and thought to be on Barack Obama’s short list for vice president, is headed to Georgia Saturday night.

His spokesman, Elizabeth Alexander said, “At the request of Georgian president (Mikhail) Saakashvilli, Chairman Biden is heading to Georgia this weekend. He is leaving this evening and will be there Sunday.”

No other Senators are traveling with him.

In a statement, his office said he will meet President Saakashvili, Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze, and U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft. He also will meet with residents who fled the fighting.

Biden said in the statement, “I am going to Georgia this weekend to get the facts first-hand and to show my support for Georgia’s people and its democratically-elected government. I look forward to reporting to my colleagues in the Senate and on the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the Administration, about what I learn.”

ERIE, Pennsylvania (CNN) – John McCain had dinner Sunday with former Gov. Tom Ridge, before they begin a two-day campaign swing through Pennsylvania.

Anytime McCain appears with someone that might be on his vice presidential shortlist, it stirs up a whole new round of speculation. And as Pennsylvania is a key battleground state, Ridge’s trip is getting plenty of attention.

Ridge greeted McCain on the tarmac at Erie International Airport when the candidate arrived. They hugged and chatted briefly before getting in the motorcade. A McCain aide handed Ridge a McCain hat, which he held as they talked.

If the presumptive Republican nominee needed any reminder of Ridge’s prominence, the airport is also named “Tom Ridge Field” in the hometown politico’s honor. The former Homeland Security Secretary grew up in Erie, and began his career there.

They then went to the Smuggler’s Wharf Restaurant on the waterfront in Erie. The two posed for pictures as they sat down with Ridge’s wife Michelle and daughter Leslie.

Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are slated to speak at the Democratic convention.

(CNN) – The Democratic National Convention announced its “headline” speakers Sunday, with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama each getting a starring role in prime time.

As CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux and Candy Crowley reported last month, Clinton will speak on Tuesday night. That day, August 26th, will be the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.

A statement from the convention called Clinton a “champion for working families and one of the most effective and empathetic voices in the country today.”

Michelle Obama will address the convention in the headline spot on Monday night.

Wednesday night will feature a speech from Barack Obama’s still unnamed running mate. Former president Bill Clinton will also speak that night.

Obama will accept the party’s nomination Thursday night, delivering his acceptance speech away from the convention hall at the larger Invesco Field at Mile High. Sixty-thousand tickets for his speech were given away the first day they were made available. His speech, on August 28th, comes on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The announcement only gives the final speakers of each night. A spokesman tells CNN a keynote speaker will be named in the coming days.

Convention co-chair Kathleen Seleblius said in a statement, “We are at a critical moment in our nation’s history. The politics and policies that have divided us will not allow us to achieve the change we need. Barack Obama is a leader to move America in a new direction and bring us together to turn moments of great challenge into moments of great opportunity. This year’s Democratic Convention is the story of people from across the country who believe it is time for change.”

Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are slated to speak at the Democratic convention.

(CNN) – The Democratic National Convention announced its “headline” speakers Sunday, with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama each getting a starring role in prime time.

As CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux and Candy Crowley reported last month, Clinton will speak on Tuesday night. That day, August 26th, will be the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.

A statement from the convention called Clinton a “champion for working families and one of the most effective and empathetic voices in the country today.”

Michelle Obama will address the convention in the headline spot on Monday night.

Wednesday night will feature a speech from Barack Obama’s still unnamed running mate. Former president Bill Clinton will also speak that night.

Obama will accept the party’s nomination Thursday night, delivering his acceptance speech away from the convention hall at the larger Invesco Field at Mile High. Sixty-thousand tickets for his speech were given away the first day they were made available. His speech, on August 28th, comes on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The announcement only gives the final speakers of each night. A spokesman tells CNN a keynote speaker will be named in the coming days.

Convention co-chair Kathleen Seleblius said in a statement, “We are at a critical moment in our nation’s history. The politics and policies that have divided us will not allow us to achieve the change we need. Barack Obama is a leader to move America in a new direction and bring us together to turn moments of great challenge into moments of great opportunity. This year’s Democratic Convention is the story of people from across the country who believe it is time for change.”

Tom Ridge will be hitting the campaign trail with John McCain this week.

(CNN) - Sen. John McCain spends the next two days campaigning through Pennsylvania with the state’s former Gov. Tom Ridge at his side.

Anytime McCain appears with someone that might be on his vice presidential shortlist, it stirs up a whole new round of speculation. And as Pennsylvania is a key battleground state, Ridge is getting plenty of attention.

Ridge, a former Homeland Security Secretary, grew up in Erie and begin his political career in the northwest Pennsylvania city where the McCain tour begins.

And if the presumptive Republican nominee needed any reminder of Ridge’s prominence, he’ll get it the moment his plane sets down. The Erie International Airport where McCain lands late Sunday afternoon is also named “Tom Ridge Field” in the hometown politico’s honor.

Obama has a new ad pushing for a windfall profits tax on big oil.

(CNN) - The Obama campaign is out with a new television commercial this morning which outlines some of candidate’s energy proposals, including what it says is a “windfall profits tax on big oil to give families a thousand dollar rebate.”

Watch: New Obama ad "Pockets"

The ad also accuses major oil companies of donating $2 million in contributions to rival John McCain’s campaign and says that “after one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another.”

The Obama campaign says the ad will run across the country but didn’t provide specifics.

The ad comes as Obama kicks off "Energy Week," with trips planned to Ohio and Indiana to discuss gas prices and rising heating bills.

Obama travels to battleground Michigan on Monday to unveil details on his energy policy.

Obama speaks at 11am ET in the Lansing, where the campaign said he will announce his “New Energy for America” plan. He will discuss an energy rebate to help with gas prices, creating five million “green” jobs and trying to eliminate the need for Middle Eastern oil in 10 years.

McCain, who will discuss small business issues Monday in Pennsylvania, also plans an energy event in Michigan this week. On Tuesday, he will visit the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant outside Detroit, for an event promoting his call for an increase in similar plants.

The energy week emphasis comes days after Obama shifted towards a compromise on offshore drilling. He talked in Florida about a willingness to accept offshore drilling as part of the bipartisan energy bill. He told reporters while he remains “skeptical of some of the drilling provisions”, he said he believes the deal includes enough alternatives to “move us in the direction of genuine energy independence” On whether it’s another example of him softening positions, Obama said, “what I'm interested ultimately is going to be governing…we've got a plan on the table that I think meets the goals that America has to set and there are some things in there that I don't like, then obviously that's something that you know I would consider because that's the nature of how we govern in a democracy.”

Nancy Pelosi had lots of praise for Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Plenty of high profile names are getting bounced around as Barack Obama’s potential running mate. But Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi may have a lesser-known candidate in mind.

Newsweek and other publications say Pelosi has been lobbying for Rep. Chet Edwards (D – Texas). The 56-year-old Edwards is a 9-term congressman representing a district in central Texas that includes President Bush’s ranch in Crawford.

In an interview Sunday, Pelosi said, “I didn't want to see a discussion of candidates for vice president without showing the House of Representatives… I just wanted people to be aware of the extraordinary credentials of Chet Edwards. And I hope he will be the nominee.”

Pelosi told ABC’s "This Week" that “for years, our colleagues have said to him, why don't you run for president? He is an extraordinarily talented person. He is a champion for veterans in the Congress. Under his leadership, we have passed, including just on Friday, the biggest increase in funding for veterans' health benefits and other benefits in the history of our country. “

Pelosi called him “talented:” and “principled.” Asked if she believed Edwards, not a household name around the country, had a chance to be picked, she said, “Well, I would certainly hope so. But, you know what? Senator Dodd, Senator Biden, Senator Hillary Clinton - there's such a great array of people from whom Senator Obama can choose. So, anyone of them, I'm fine with."

Sebelius is considered a top VP pick.

(CNN) - With the vice presidential selection process perhaps nearing its end, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kansas, appeared with a high profile Republican guest Wednesday.

Sebelius, thought to be a possible choice as Barack Obama’s running mate, introduced T. Boone Pickens at a town hall in Topeka that focused on his new energy plan.

“We have a crisis in America, no question,” the Democratic governor told the crowd, “It’s pretty simple to understand. We’re borrowing money from China to import 70 percent of oil, much of it from nations that don’t like us very much. And when we burn it, it harms out planet. Now, if that doesn’t seem like a lose-lose-lose situation to you.”

Pushing the Pickens proposal, Sebelius said, “I think we’re right in the middle of a big hole..when you’re in a hole, you stop digging.”

Pickens is calling for an investment plan to make wind and natural gas the main sources of energy in the United States. He told The Hill this week, “I’ll vote for McCain. But I’m not working on his campaign….I don’t see a plan by either Obama or McCain that is going to solve the $700 billion problem. Neither one of them address that.”

But he had words of praise for Sebelius, saying, “you know it, but you have a fabulous governor. Smart, working for Kansas, and highly intelligent.”

Sen. Claire McCaskill says anyone would be thrilled to be asked to be Obama's No. 2.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – How can you tell if a prospective vice presidential candidate is lying? Well, one potential running mate says when they claim they don’t really want the job.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), thought to be a possible contender for Barack Obama’s No. 2 spot, was asked on Fox News Sunday, “I'm going to do something that people don't do around Washington very often. I think you're not supposed to do this. I think anybody in Washington would be thrilled to be asked.”

Would she take the job, if offered? She said, “I would like to meet somebody who wouldn't. If they're saying they wouldn't, I don't think that they are being as candid or as up front with the American people as probably they should be.”

Obama will campaign in McCaskill’s critical home state week. She said she has not been asked to provide any personal information to the campaign.

McCaskill said she doesn’t believe Obama needs to necessarily pick a female running mate to win support from women voters. She said, “If you look at all the polling, the much vaunted problems that Obama was going to have with working-class people, with people that don't have a college education, with women, with Hispanics, you don't hear a lot of talking heads talking about those issues anymore because it's simply not true.

Also appearing with McCaskill was Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota). He wasn’t quite as open on whether he would take the running mate position if offered by John McCain. Thune said, “You don't rule anything out in this profession. But it's certainly not anything I aspire to. I like the

job I have.” He also said he had not be asked by the McCain campaign to provide information.

Sen. Obama's campaign aircraft prepares to leave London's Heathrow International Airport Saturday under heavy security and return to the U.S. Photo credit: Getty Images

LONDON, England (CNN) - Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama headed back to the United States Saturday night, bringing to an end his eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe.

The Obama campaign's chartered Boeing 757 took off from London's Heathrow Airport just after 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), bound for Chicago, Illinois.

During the trip, Obama visited Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

The senator told reporters just before takeoff that he intended to sleep the entire way home on the nearly eight-hour flight.

Pawlenty is said to be on McCain’s VP shortlist.

(CNN) – Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was able to dodge questions about the vice presidential game – for a second.

At a news conference outside a Bloomington, Minnesota gas station to promote John McCain’s energy plan, the questions turned to whether he’s atop the presumptive Republican nominee’s running mate shortlist.

Pawlenty paused and turned to the gas station owner next to him. To laughter, the owner said “I’m really flattered you’re considering me, asking that question.”

But the governor offered little more, saying he has “stopped engaging in the discussion.” He told reporters, “I’m honored to have my name mentioned. I have just stopped engaging in the speculation because I think it is largely speculation, and it just fuels more speculation.”

He said any answer he gives only opens new avenues for reporters, saying “If I saw anything different, one word even different than what I said a week ago or yesterday, then it becomes more speculation....I’m a national co-chair for the campaign, and the campaign has asked officials not to discuss or speculate on the VP stuff, so I’m trying to respect that as well.”

Pawlenty declined to answer whether he has been vetted or given information to the campaign, saying only “you’re kind to ask.”

He was pressed by local reporters on whether campaigning for McCain has taken time away from his job as governor: Pawlenty has traveled out of the state three times this week, though he said one trip was state education business. “I was here yesterday, I’m here today and I’ll be here tomorrow...it’s not accurate to say I’ve gone all week,” he said.

Asked how much time he spends on the McCain effort, he said, “It varies from week to week. Some weeks I hardly do any McCain stuff, and there’s some weeks where I do more of it.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNN) – Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night only works for the post office – not presidential campaign photo ops.

The McCain camp planned a Thursday visit to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico near the Louisiana coast, an off-shore drilling event designed to help attract attention as Barack Obama delivered his speech in Berlin.

But the threat of bad weather forced the trip to be cancelled. Instead, McCain will be spend the entire day in Columbus, Ohio , where he was already scheduled to take part in an evening town hall meeting on cancer. He’ll appear with Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong at the Livestrong Summit on the campus of The Ohio State University.

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania (CNN) – Reluctant at first to wade into the vice presidential selection process, John McCain Wednesday was coaxed into offering more praise for one of the hotter names in the speculation game this week.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty drew more attention as a likely short-lister earlier this week after McCain brought him up unsolicited in New Hampshire, telling a private meeting of delegates they were “really going to like him.”

At a media availability inside a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania grocery store Wednesday, McCain was asked about talk Pawlenty was at the top of the list.

At first, McCain demurred, saying “you know that I can’t mention any names. We have a process going on.’

Pressed on whether he had anything positive to say about him, McCain quickly said, “Oh, Tim. I’m sorry. He’s a great, fine person.”

McCain told reporters, “he was re-elected in one of the toughest re-election years in the history of the Republican Party. His father, I am pretty sure, drove a truck. He’s a great success story”, adding he has “successfully been able to work across the aisle in Minnesota with the Democrats.”

Bad weather caused McCain to cancel a planned trip to New Orleans Wednesday night, where he was to meet with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Jindal indicated earlier Wednesday he wasn’t interested in the No. 2 spot, but McCain included Jindal in praise of Pawlenty. He said, “He, Bobby Jindal and a number of governors, I think are the future of the Republican Party. The next generation of leadership.”

In an interview later Wednesday, McCain said he had not yet made a final decision on his choice.

McCain is in Ohio Thursday, home state of another potential contender, former Rep. Rob Portman.

Sen. Barack Obama speaks on his Iraq policy aboard his campaign plane headed to Missouri on Saturday.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama, speaking on board his campaign plane as it headed to St. Louis on Saturday, continued to defend his position on Iraq - and questioned reporters' parsing of his words.

"I am surprised at how ... the press ... I'm not trying to dump on you guys, but I'm surprised at how finely calibrated every single word was measured," Obama said.

"I wasn't saying anything that I hadn't said before. That I didn't say a year ago. Or when I was a U.S. senator. If you look at our position, it's been very consistent. The notion that we have to get out carefully has been a consistent position," he said.

"The belief that we have a national security interest in making sure Iraq is secure, I've been saying consistently," he added. Noting "the worst-case scenarios and the parade of horribles that has been trotted out by John McCain and others about genocide if we left," he said he has always reserved "the right to protect people from genocide."

"So a lot of these statements that I've made have been entirely consistent," Obama added.

Late Saturday afternoon, McCain's campaign responded to Obama's comments.

In a statement, campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said, “We are all absolutely committed to ending this war, but on Thursday Barack Obama’s words indicated that he also shared John McCain’s commitment to securing the peace beforehand. What’s really puzzling is that Barack Obama still doesn’t understand that his words matter."

In North Dakota on Thursday, Obama denied that he's shying away from his proposed 16-month phased withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq, calling it "pure speculation" and adding that his "position has not changed."

However, he told reporters questioning his stance that he will "continue to refine" his policies as warranted.

Presumably unhappy with the media's coverage of his earlier statements on Iraq - and after the Republican National Committee issued attack emails asserting he's "reversed" his position - Obama called a second news conference later Thursday to reiterate that he is not changing his stance.

Watch: Obama clarifies his comments on Iraq

"We’re gonna try this again. Apparently I wasn't clear enough this morning on my position with respect to the war in Iraq. I have said throughout this campaign that this war was ill-conceived, that it was a strategic blunder and that it needs to come to an end," he said.

"I have also said that I would be deliberate and careful in how we got out, that we would bring our troops home at a pace of one to two brigades per month and that at that pace we would have our combat troops out in 16 months."

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Obama campaigned in Colorado Thursday.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) - It’s been a rough week for the motorcycle unit of the Colorado Springs Police Department.

First, two officers were hurt last week when lightning struck between their motorcycles while on a training exercise. Then Wednesday night, another member of the same unit was hurt when he crashed while escorting Barack Obama’s motorcade.

Sgt. Tim Hogan tells CNN the officer went down when a van clipped his motorcycle as he tried to block traffic. He said the officer’s Kevlar vest and helmet took the brunt of the impact, keeping his injuries from being too serious.

Secret Service agents and paramedics tended to the officer, who was taken to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs and later released.

Obama spoke with the officer at the hospital by phone.

“It turns out he’s OK,” Mr. Obama said at a fundraiser Wednesday night. “I called him and he said it’s all part of the job. He’s doing all right.”

The Democratic presidential candidate was in Colorado Springs delivering a speech on national service, visiting Peterson Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The accident happened as he was returning to the hotel where Obama attended a fundraiser.

In February, a Dallas Police officer was killed in an accident while protecting the motorcade of Sen. Hillary Clinton when his motorcycle crashed.

From left, Billy Graham, John McCain and Franklin Graham meet Sunday in North Carolina.

(CNN) – John McCain spent 45 minutes meeting with the Rev. Billy Graham and his son Franklin at Graham’s North Carolina home Sunday morning.

The meeting took place at Graham’s home in Montreat, North Carolina, known as Little Piney Cove, about 25 miles outside Asheville. The house is a mountaintop retreat near Black Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The campaign says Rev. Graham, though quite ill, sat up in the chair during the meeting and participated in the talks with McCain and Franklin.

Advance notification of the meeting did not mention the 89-year-old Rev. Graham would be taking part.

Singer Ricky Skaggs, who was already scheduled to have lunch with the Grahams, came early and met McCain.

Franklin Graham issued a written statement a short time after the meeting. He said, “My father and I were pleased to have an opportunity to meet and visit with Sen. John McCain today. Sen. McCain’s office had requested a meeting in recent months and we appreciate the effort he made to travel to my father’s home. The senator and I both have sons currently serving in the military, and also have a common interest in aviation. I was impressed by his personal faith and his moral clarity on important social issues facing America today."

The younger Graham, the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse international relief, said, “"We had an opportunity to pray for the senator and his family, and for God's will to be done in this upcoming election."

"While as a Christian minister I am not endorsing a candidate for president, I do endorse the responsibility of men and women of faith everywhere to vote and to be involved in the political process. I encourage people to vote for the candidate at every level who best represents their values and convictions, and then to pray for those in authority over us as required in Scripture.”

McCain, speaking with reporters after the meeting as he boarded his plane, called the get-together “a very excellent conversation.” Asked if he expected the Grahams’ votes, McCain responded, “Oh I don’t know. I didn’t ask for their votes.”

The Arizona Senator said he asked for the meeting because “they have known my family, they have known of me for many years. They’re great leaders of this nation, I appreciate the opportunity to, to visit with them and I am very grateful for the time they spent with me.”

The meeting came as the McCain campaign last week reached out to conservatives in Ohio. McCain Friday said the meeting was not part of an effort to reach out to conservatives. He said, "No, he is a man whose family is respected, incredibly respected, and I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to meet with him. I think the Graham family really transcends politics in America. Billy Graham was an adviser to every president, so...there certainly is no political aspect to the meeting that I will have.”

Rev. Graham spoke of meeting McCain’s father, Admiral John McCain, when he was commander of the Pacific theater during the Vietnam War. Their meeting happened while Senator McCain was being held as a prisoner of war. Franklin Graham said in the statement, “Admiral McCain invited my father to come see him in Honolulu and they got on their knees and prayed for John during his captivity; and did so again on a return trip. He expressed his gratitude for the senator’s long and brave service to our nation."

Sen. John McCain had harsh words for Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday.

(CNN) - Hours after sparring with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over immigration, Sen. John McCain told a fundraiser in Kentucky Saturday night, “Senator Obama’s word cannot be trusted”.

The comment came at a private event in Louisville, as McCain criticized Obama for reversing positions on public financing and other issues.

The Republican candidate told the crowd, McCain said, “You know, this election is about trust, and trusting people’s word, and unfortunately apparently on several items, Senator Obama’s word cannot be trusted.”

He was introduced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who joked the two don’t always see eye to eye. In his comments, McCain said, “I take difficult positions sometimes. Mitch will tell you, I’m not elected Ms. Congeniality every year in the United States senate. But the fact is that I’ll keep my word to the American people and you can trust me.”

The charge came after Obama at the National Association of Latino Elected Officials accused McCain of backing down on immigration reform for political reasons.

He said, “One place where Senator McCain used to offer change was on immigration. He was a champion of comprehensive reform, and I admired him for it. But when he was running for his party's nomination, he walked away from that commitment and he's said he wouldn't even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote. We can't vacillate. We can't shift.”

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Sen. John McCain has called for ten joint appearances before the Democratic Convention in August.

NEW YORK (CNN) -– If presumptive presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain do hold joint town hall meetings before the political conventions, you’ll have plenty of options to watch them.

Both campaigns Sunday quickly rejected an offer by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC News to hold the first such get-together as a 90-minute, prime time broadcast on ABC.

But the Obama and McCain camps said the idea of one network putting on the event is a non-starter.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said, “Both campaigns indicate that any additional appearances will be open to all networks for broadcast on TV or Internet like the presidential commission debates, rather than sponsored by a single network or news organization.”

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said, "Both campaigns agree the town hall meetings will be open to press but not sponsored or moderated by the press."

The idea of the town hall style meetings was again raised on the campaign trial last week by McCain, who called for ten joint appearances before the Democratic Convention in August. He proposed the first one be held later this month at Federal Hall in New York, saying in a letter to Obama, "What a welcome change it would be were presidential candidates in our time to treat each other and the people they seek to lead with respect and courtesy as they discussed the great issues of the day, without the empty sound bites and media-filtered exchanges that dominate our elections."

He said they should be modeled on appearances President John F. Kennedy and Barry Goldwater planned on holding in the 1964 campaign, before President Kennedy’s death.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said the idea would be discussed, but suggested a different format. He said, "The idea of joint town halls is appealing and one that would allow a great conversation to take place about the need to change the direction of this country… We would recommend a format that is less structured and lengthier than the McCain campaign suggests, one that more closely resembles the historic debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. But, having just secured our party's nomination, this is one of the many items we will be addressing in the coming days and look forward to discussing it with the McCain campaign."

Former comic Al Franken

(CNN) - Former comedian Al Franken, whose bid for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota was threatened by controversy over jokes from his past, won a crucial endorsement from the state Democratic party Saturday.

The DFL Convention endorsed Franken unanimously on the first ballot in Rochester, Saturday, after rival Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer conceded the vote to him and urged the party to unanimously back him. Nelson-Pallmeyer’s withdrawal means Franken will likely not face a major primary challenger, and will be expected to face Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman in November.

The former "Saturday Night Live" writer drew criticism from political rivals in recent weeks for off-color jokes during his career, including an essay in “Playboy” Magazine a decade ago.

In his speech before the state convention, Franken told the crowd, “I’ve had some tough conversations this week. It kills me that things I said and wrote sent a message to some of my friends in this room and people in this state that they can’t count on me to be a champion for women, a champion for all Minnesotans, in this campaign and in the Senate”

He said, “I’m sorry for that. Because that’s not who I am”.

Franken apologized for the content of some of his material in the past, saying “for 35 years, I was a writer. I wrote a lot of jokes. Some of them weren’t funny. Some of them were inappropriate. Some of them were downright offensive. I understand that. And I understand that the people of Minnesota deserve a Senator who won’t say things that make them uncomfortable. But I’m in this race because there are some people in Washington who could afford to feel a little less comfortable.”

Bob Barr has clashed with his former party over policy.

(CNN) - Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr is now the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee - and a potential headache for John McCain, as he reaches out to conservative voters who might otherwise vote for the GOP nominee in November.

The former Georgia congressman - who left the Republican Party two years ago, citing differences over fiscal policy and concerns over civil liberties - was nominated on the sixth ballot at the party’s convention in Denver. The vote on the sixth ballot was 324 for Barr, and 276 for Mary Ruwart, the last remaining candidate out of 14 originally seeking the Libertarian nomination.

Watch Huckabee's joke at the NRA Convention Friday. (starting at 0:50).

(CNN) - Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, known for his razor-sharp humor on the campaign trail, has again found it can be a double-edge sword, as he spent a third day explaining his admittedly “awkward” quip about Senator Barack Obama.

Huckabee talked to reporters Saturday after addressing graduates at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia. Not surprisingly, the first question was about Friday’s joke at the NRA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, about the Democratic presidential front-runner. It came up again Sunday in his appearance on “Meet the Press”.

After a loud noise back stage during his speech Friday, Huckabee joked, “That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He’s getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him, and he dove for the floor.” The audience, who laughed as he started the line, turned quiet.

In his news conference Saturday, Huckabee acknowledged the line was a mistake. “It was a simple thing of an incredible distraction that happened somewhere backstage”, he said, “I made a rather awkward attempt at a joke, wasn’t all that great. I’ve apologized for it. I didn’t mean to offend anybody. I didn’t even remember having said it. I honestly had to go back and look at the tape.”

The former Arkansas Governor said the controversy over the line has been blown out of proportion. He told reporters, “I think if people go back and look at the actual moment they’ll realize that it’s not nearly as much of a thing as some bloggers have attempted to make it to be. So all I would say is let people go back and look at what actually happened, and I think it’s a pretty benign interview.”

Huckabee drew big laughs often as a candidate for his lines in debates and on the stump, even making an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” that received great reviews. But other times, his humor could raise some eyebrows. CNN producer Evan Glass, who traveled with the candidate in Iowa, recalled Huckabee joking during a hunting photo where his group bagged three pheasants, “don’t get in my way. This is what happens.” (It should be noted the joke was prompted by a reporter’s prodding for a metaphor.)

Sen. Hillary Clinton participates in the MomLogic.com broadcast in North Carolina, Saturday.

CARY, North Carolina (CNN) - There’s no escaping politics four days before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. But before a targeted women’s audience in an online town hall Saturday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tried to play up her parental side.

Asked about advice on raising teenagers, Clinton told the audience it’s the quality of time with your children that matters.

In the MomLogic.com forum, she said, “be there when you’re there with them. It’s easy to be looking at your Blackberry, to be on the cell phone, to be distracted. Somehow you have to create the space and time.”

Clinton said it’s important that children “really, really know you they have your undivided attention.”

Parenting advice is also a common part of candidate Barack Obama’s stump speech, often telling his audience how to help children in school.

She told the audience in a high school auditorium and online that it's important to pick your battles with children, saying she chose not to fight with Chelsea Clinton when she showed up to President Clinton's second inauguration in a skirt she thought was way too short."

CNN’s Alexander Marquardt, traveling with the Clinton campaign, said she drew laughs talking about raising Chelsea in the White House.

Clinton said that meant “the Secret Service went on her dates. A lot of her girlfriends’ mothers liked when they double-dated, because there was a guy with a gun in the front seat.”

Chelsea returns to North Carolina to campaign Sunday. She was spotted Saturday afternoon at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville.