Republican presidential John McCain assured Hispanic leaders he would push through Congress legislation to overhaul federal immigration laws if elected, several people who attended a private meeting with the candidate said Thursday.

Democrats questioned why the Arizona senator held the meeting late Wednesday night in Chicago. But supporters who were in the room denied that McCain held the closed-door session out of fear of offending conservatives, many of whom want him to take a harder line on immigration.

An aide to Iowa's governor said Thursday that Republican presidential candidate John McCain ignored the governor's request to cancel a campaign visit amid a massive flood recovery effort in the state.

McCain toured flood-damaged sites in Iowa on Thursday, including the town of Columbus Junction in the southeast.

Patrick Dillon, Gov. Chet Culver's chief of staff, said the governor was concerned that McCain's trip would divert local law enforcement from the flood recovery effort to provide security for McCain.

[IPW NOTE: Iowa's governor is a Democrat.]

McCain's fundraising has improved dramatically since he secured the nomination in early March. But unlike Obama, he's had to do it the very hard way, slogging through fundraiser after fundraiser, shaking hand after hand.

By the count of some reporters who trail him daily, McCain has attended more than 90 fundraisers since March 5, flying around the country to court high-rollers in hotels and private homes.

McCain stumps strategists by playing up his unpopular stance on free trade

With Americans increasingly anxious about the effects of trade on the sinking economy, John McCain heads to Canada today, where he plans to herald free trade and argue that Barack Obama's "protectionist" policies could be harmful to U.S. alliances.

McCain's advisors believe the border crossing will show McCain in his best light -- as a leader on the world stage unafraid to embrace an unpopular position and optimistic about the new jobs that trade could create.

But some political analysts wondered why McCain would choose to highlight his position in attention-grabbing trips -- whether to Canada or to economically depressed areas like Youngstown, Ohio. The Arizona senator's campaign needs to win the support of independent voters, many of them blue-collar workers worried that the North American Free Trade Agreement will cost them their jobs.

Cindy McCain: families not fair game

Cindy McCain, traveling in Southeast Asia, said in an interview with CNN's John King that doesn't think "spouses and family members ... are fair game."

Asked why she had once invoked Michelle Obama's comments about pride in her country, McCain said it had been unplanned.

"I'm an emotional woman when it comes to service to our country," she said. McCain called Michelle Obama a "fine woman" and "good mother." 

 

Obama team weighs Nunn, Edwards as running mates

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, said members of her caucus asked her to forward the names of Edwards and Nunn when she met Wednesday with Obama's vice presidential search team. The team, Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, indicated the two were on the list.

Obama, Clinton to campaign together next week

Obama and Clinton will appear together on Friday, June 27, but the Obama campaign gave no details about the event...

Obama: nuclear power worth considering, not panacea

During a meeting with U.S. governors, Obama noted that nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gases and therefore the United States should consider investing research dollars into whether nuclear waste can be stored safely for its reuse...

Bloomberg defends Obama before Jewish voters

Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged Jewish voters to denounce the whisper campaign that for months has pushed the false rumor that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim.

Bloomberg warned a Jewish group in Boca Raton, Fla., on Friday that the attempt to portray Obama as a shadowy Muslim with a hidden agenda often targets Jewish voters online and with e-mails.

The deceptive campaign against Obama, who is Christian, "threatens to undo the enormous strides that Jews and Muslims have made together in this country," the New York mayor said....

Obama says sorry over scarfs

Sen. Barack Obama extended his personal apologies Thursday to two Muslim women who were nixed from sitting behind him at a Michigan event because they wore head scarfs.

Campaign volunteers barred Hebba Aref and Shimaa Abdelfadeel from appearing behind Obama at a Detroit rally because they feared the women's traditional head coverings would create a negative impression of the candidate on national TV...

Obama's first general election ad touts patriotism

Senator Obama's first television ad of the general election campaign is an attempt to quell the fears of some voters that Mr. Obama is unpatriotic...