Democratic
front-runners Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton were
taking their campaigns to the West on Friday in their tight
race for their party's presidential nomination, while
Republican contenders vied for support in a debate
that focused on Americans' anxiety about their
nation's economy.
Clinton,
following her unexpected triumph Tuesday in New Hampshire's
primary, visited Las Vegas neighborhoods Thursday and led a
discussion of the mortgage crisis -- an
especially strong issue in Nevada, a state that
has led the U.S. in foreclosure rates 11 months in a row.
She also spoke about the economy Friday at a Los
Angeles rally, where she detailed a
massive economic-stimulus package that she said she
would introduce in Congress.
On Thursday Obama
received a boost from Sen. John Kerry, the party's 2004
presidential nominee. The Illinois senator came to Las Vegas
Friday for a rally with members of the Culinary
Workers Union, which endorsed him earlier this week.
Obama
also secured the endorsement of Arizona's Democratic
governor Janet Napolitano. The endorsement is a major
gain for Obama, since Napolitano is the most prominent
Democrat in Arizona and her support could be
significant in a state now regarded as winnable by a
Democratic presidential candidate after decades as a
near-lock for Republicans. The Arizona primary is
on February 5, when more than 20 states will hold
primaries or caucuses.
Both candidates
are seeking a victory in the Nevada caucuses on January
19 as they try to build up momentum heading into the
February 5 contests. Their next race after Nevada is
in South Carolina, which holds its Democratic primary
on January 26, a week after the Republican primary
there.
Obama on Thursday
was in South Carolina to receive Kerry's endorsement --
support which the Massachusetts senator offered in the words
of slain civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. and said reflected his faith in Obama's
ability to bring Americans together.
''Who better than
Barack Obama to turn a new page in American politics so
that Democrat, Independent, and Republican alike can look to
leadership that unites to find the common ground?''
Kerry said. ''That's what this is about.''
Obama supporters
hoped Kerry's endorsement could give him a lift as he
seeks to put his New Hampshire primary loss behind him. But
it was also a snub aimed at Clinton and his 2004
vice-presidential nominee, former North Carolina
senator John Edwards, who has vowed to say in the race
until the Democratic party's national convention this
summer. Edwards remains the spoiler in the Democratic
race, particularly after veteran diplomat and New
Mexico governor Bill Richardson, the only Latino
candidate in the field, withdrew Thursday.
Both Edwards and
Clinton responded to the endorsement saying they respect
Kerry and his decision.
While Obama, who
is vying to become the U.S.'s first black president, and
Clinton, who wants to be the country's first female
president, are eager for a win in Nevada, they are
also in fierce competition for the support of black
voters in South Carolina.
Obama's campaign
is counting on the support of blacks, who make up half
of the Democratic primary voters in the state. But Clinton
is bucking for the black vote and could find some
added support in that her surname is one of the most
beloved in the black community.
Also in South
Carolina, six Republican candidates, whose party's primary
in the state is on January 19, debated Thursday night in
Myrtle Beach, pushing hard to differentiate themselves
from their rivals in what has become the most
wide-open presidential campaign in nearly a half-century.
All of the Republican candidates backed a blend of tax
and spending cuts to head off an election-year
recession they generally agreed is avoidable. Analysts
felt that the debate did little to provide any one
candidate with a boost going into the upcoming races.
The first three
contests of the Republican campaign have yielded three
different winners: Baptist preacher-turned-politician Mike
Huckabee, first in the leadoff Iowa caucuses; Mitt
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who won in
the little-contested Wyoming caucuses; and veteran
senator and prisoner of war John McCain, triumphant in last
Tuesday's fiercely fought New Hampshire primary.
While the debate
was held in South Carolina, the January 15 Michigan
primary is next on the campaign calendar. Romney, Huckabee,
and McCain are the principal contenders in Michigan,
and many analysts believe Romney needs to win Michigan
if he hopes to realistically keep his candidacy alive.
Former New York
City mayor Rudy Giuliani is looking to the Florida
primary on January 29 for his first victory.
Former Senator
Fred Thompson of Tennessee, who quit his role on the Law
& Order TV series to enter the race
underscored the urgency of a strong South Carolina showing
when he launched an attack on Huckabee on the debate
stage. ''This is a battle for the heart and soul of
the Republican Party and its future. On the one hand
you have the Reagan Revolution ... on the other hand you
have the direction that Governor Huckabee would take
us ... liberal economic policies, liberal foreign
policies,'' he said.
Huckabee seemed
unruffled. ''The Air Force has a saying that if you're
not catching flak you're not over the target. I'm catching
the flak. I must be over the target,'' he said.
In a 90-minute
debate that also touched on foreign policy and
immigration, the candidates were asked about last weekend's
Persian Gulf incident in which Iranian speed boats
reportedly harassed U.S. warships, none of the
presidential rivals found fault with U.S. naval commanders
on the scene. But several took the opportunity to
stress their determination to take stronger steps
against Iran in the future.
''I think one
more step, you know, and they would have been introduced to
those virgins that they're looking forward to seeing,'' said
Thompson.
Huckabee said
that if it happened again the Iranians ''should be prepared
to see the gates of Hell.''
The debate
unfolded as one poll showed McCain getting a bounce from his
New Hampshire triumph and moving narrowly ahead of Huckabee
and Romney in South Carolina. (AP)
