McCain criticizes Obama over speaker
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/05/art.obama.ap.jpg caption="Obama campaigned in North Dakota Friday."](CNN) - John McCain criticized Barack Obama Saturday for not denouncing comments from a speaker at a North Dakota Democratic Party event calling the Arizona senator a "warmonger."
The comments in question came Friday evening at an event in North Dakota where Barack Obama also spoke. Radio talk show host Ed Schultz addressed the crowd, during which he criticized McCain's support of the Iraq war and called him a "warmonger." Obama was not present for Schultz's comments and spoke later at the event.
"I hope that in keeping with the spirit of Sen. Obama, that they condemn, that Sen. Obama will condemn such language since it was a part of his campaign," McCain said. "But that kind of language is unnecessary for this campaign. I think its very clear how I feel about war and my experiences with it."
Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Saturday McCain should not have been described that way.
"John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such. He's a supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes should have never been authorized and never been waged," she said.
Obama's campaign also notes Schultz is not an official supporter of the campaign and was asked to speak by the North Dakota Democratic Party, not the Obama campaign.
Fred Thompson visiting McCain
CNN confirms that Fred Thompson will make a visit to McCain's Sedona, Arizona home this weekend. Thompson, who ended his presidential bid in January, is a longtime friend of the Arizona senator.
Barr forming presidential exploratory committee
(CNN) - Former GOP Congressman Bob Barr told reporters in Kansas City Saturday he is forming a presidential exploratory committee, and will make the final decision on whether for run for the Libertarian Party’s nomination before the Memorial Day weekend.
Barr represented Georgia's 7th congressional district from 1995-2003. Barr formally left the Republican Party in 2006.
Clinton: 'I don't quit'
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/05/art.clintonor.ap.jpg caption="Clinton campaigned in Oregon."] HILLSBORO, Oregon (CNN) - Hillary Clinton repeated her intentions to stay in the presidential race at a campaign event in Oregon Saturday.
“One thing I hope you know about me is that I don’t quit,” Clinton said, adding she will continue to campaign “hard” in the final ten primaries.
Clinton also again pushed seating the delegates from Florida and Michigan - the two states penalized by the Democratic National Committee for moving their primaries ahead of February 5.
“Some say their votes should be ignored, and discounted…well I have a different view.”
Clinton added that ignoring the 2.3 million democrats who voted in those primaries would hurt in November: “We cannot afford to give up on Michigan and Florida.”
Colombia cuts ties with Clinton strategist
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/04/art.penn.gi.jpg caption="Mark Penn is a chief strategist for the Clinton campaign."](CNN) - The Colombian government severed ties with Clinton strategist Mark Penn and his public relations firm Saturday, unhappy Penn referred to a recent meeting with the Colombian ambassador as an "error in judgment."
"Mr. Mark Penn, President and CEO of Burson Marsteller, responded to claims by Union representatives who questioned his relationship with the Colombian Government by declaring that it was an 'error in judgment' to meet with his client the Colombian Ambassador on March 31. The Colombian government considers this a lack of respect to Colombians, and finds this response unacceptable," a statement from the Colombian embassy said.
Penn's comments came Friday after it was reported he had met with the Colombian ambassador in his role as CEO of his P.R. firm to promote a free trade agreement with the country that Hillary Clinton has sharply criticized on the campaign trail.
"The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it," Penn said in an issued statement. "The senator's well known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed," Penn said in a statement.
McCain says he was wrong to oppose MLK day
McCain marked the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's death Friday. (AP Photo)
(CNN) - Speaking at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, John McCain said Friday he was wrong to initially oppose a government holiday in memory of the civil rights leader.
"We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King," McCain said during the rainy Memphis speech. "I was wrong and eventually realized that, in time to give full support for a state holiday in Arizona. We can all be a little late sometimes in doing the right thing, and Dr. King understood this about his fellow Americans."
The comments were met with audible boos in the audience, though the Arizona senator did draw applause at other moments in the speech.
McCain, then a first-term congressman, voted against creating a government holiday for King in 1983. On Thursday, he suggested he was unaware of King's legacy at the time.
"I voted in my first year in Congress against it and then I began to learn and I studied and people talked to me," he told reporters. "And I not only supported it but I fought very hard in my home state of Arizona for recognition against a governor who was of my own party."
McCain was a chief backer of a successful 1992 Arizona ballot referendum to mark the holiday.
In 2000, McCain said of his initial opposition was due to the fact that "it cost too much money, that other presidents were not recognized.”
Top passport official to be moved after snooping issues
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/POLITICS/04/04/passport.official/art.passport.gi.jpg caption=" The passport files of Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain were improperly accessed."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - The top State Department official responsible for passport issues will be replaced after a recent controversy over contract employees snooping into passport files of the U.S. presidential candidates.
The department's deputy spokesman, Tom Casey, would not draw a link between the reassignment of Ann Barrett and the violations.
Casey attributed the move to normal employee turnover and not "any individual incident or set of incidents."
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