Today on the presidential campaign trail

The Associated Press

Don Ryan

Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., smiles as Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski introduces her during a rally in Central Point, Ore. Thursday, May 8, 2008.

IN THE HEADLINES

Obama gets front-runner's welcome back at the Capitol, wins superdelegate support ... Organized labor sharpening campaign against McCain as Obama solidifies front-runner status ... Clinton vows to keep running, calls on Obama to debate her again ...

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Obama gets big welcome - and fresh support - on Capitol tour

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama got a front-runner's welcome back at the Capitol on Thursday, pressing congressional "superdelegates" to support him in a visit that had the look and feel of a campaign victory lap.

On the House floor, he was quickly surrounded by well-wishers calling him, "Mr. President" and reaching out to pat him on the back or shake his hand. The glad-handers included a few Republicans and supporters of his Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

He picked up the superdelegate support of at least two lawmakers: Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina, where Obama handily won the primary on Tuesday, and Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington state.

Obama predicted he would lose the next two contests to Clinton - West Virginia and Kentucky - but said he expected to win other states. His presence here underscored the nomination math: The remaining six primaries and their 217 delegates are not what matters most in the winding-down campaign.

More important are the 260-plus superdelegates who are yet to be claimed and are not bound by the outcome of any state's vote. Although Obama cannot be caught in the race for primary delegates, neither can he win the nomination without the backing of more superdelegates.

"Our goal is going to be to try to be to bring the party together as soon as possible," Obama said as he walked through the Capitol after his visit to the House with a swarm of reporters jostling to question him. "But we still have contests remaining, and so in no way am I taking this for granted. We're going to have to keep on working."

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Unions focusing more on McCain

WASHINGTON (AP) - Organized labor is paying more attention to Republican John McCain as Democrat Barack Obama solidifies his status as the front-runner in the Democratic contest against Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The AFL-CIO, which has not endorsed anyone in the Democratic primary, announced Wednesday that it is sending more than 6,000 of its people to more than 22 states during the next two weekends to talk to more than 200,000 union voters about McCain.

"Senator McCain's economic path would lead to disaster for America's working families," said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization.

Meanwhile, the nation's largest union, the Service Employees International Union, is increasing its focus on the likely Republican presidential nominee. The union's political action committee is already running commercials critical of McCain's health care plan.

The SEIU, which endorsed Obama, has called the Illinois senator "the presumptive nominee."

"We've had a long process and the outcome is now clear," said Anna Burger, the SEIU's secretary treasurer. "The Democratic Party should come together to focus on winning in November."

But Clinton's union supporters say they're solidly behind her.

If the New York senator can win in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon and Puerto Rico - the next four of the six remaining primaries - then she can make a case to the Democratic superdelegates that she's the best candidate, said Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

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Clinton renews call for debate with Obama in Oregon primary

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (AP) - Hoarse from a cross-country campaign trip through three states, Sen. Hillary Clinton told die-hard supporters in southern Oregon she would keep running for president, and pressed her opponent to debate her again.

Sen. Barack Obama was to campaign through Oregon on Friday and Saturday, and Clinton said it would be a great time to debate while Oregonians consider how to cast mail ballots that are already hanging on refrigerators in households across the state. The ballots will be counted May 20.

Clinton was slated to speak Friday about health care at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.

"Those of you who have already made up your mind to support me, send it in," Clinton told a cheering crowd of about 1,200, in a pavilion of the Jackson County fairgrounds on Thursday night. "If you think you've made up your mind to support my opponent, wait awhile. Keep thinking. Keep waiting for that debate."

Clinton repeated portions of her Oregon Compact, saying she favored restoring federal payments to timber-dependent counties, and criticized Obama for voting for an energy bill that took away states' authority over siting liquefied natural gas terminals. She also called for thinning forests to provide jobs and reduce the danger of wildfire.

Obama has not risen to the debate bait, saying they have had ample opportunity to discuss issues in repeated televised confrontations.

After a narrow Clinton win in Indiana and a strong Obama win in North Carolina, Clinton's chances of winning enough delegates to claim the nomination were dwindling, putting newfound importance on the 52 pledged delegates to be apportioned by Oregon voters.

Apologizing for being late after campaign stops in West Virginia and South Dakota, Clinton made light of the long odds against her.

"I apologize. We were kind of flying against the wind," she said. "But that's the story of my life. Flying against the wind, you'll get there eventually."

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THE DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with voters in Oregon before a Democratic dinner in Kentucky. Barack Obama campaigns in Oregon.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain a news conference in South Carolina.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"For the last many elections, I've always voted for the person who was the lesser of two evils." - Barack Obama supporter, Duran Atkins, of Bozeman, Mont.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

West Virginia's median age of 40.7 is four years older than the national median, more than nine in 10 residents are white and the median family income is roughly $12,500 below the national median of about $58,500.

Compiled by Ann Sanner and Ronald Powers.