Obama, McCain map fall strategies

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are already drawing up strategies for taking each other on in the general election, focusing on the same groups — including independent voters and Latinos — and about a dozen states where they think the contest is likely to be decided this fall, campaign aides said.

Obama willing to meet McCain at townhall debates

Republican strategist Mark McKinnon has suggested the two candidates agree to campaign in some states together, to attend joint town hall meetings and debate each other without a moderator. McKinnon called the town hall meeting McCain’s “best format” and said joint campaigning would test Obama’s “claims that he wants a clean fight on the issues.”

... Obama said Saturday that he was open to the idea, should he become the nominee.

GOP convention head resigns over Myanmar ties

Group pushing Hillary as VP choice tied to her campaign

A group called VoteBoth has been leading the charge for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to team up on the Democratic ticket.

But the people behind it come from just one of those camps — Clinton's — and one of their goals may be keeping Clinton's White House prospects alive.

The group's founder, Adam Parkhomenko, until recently worked as an assistant to Patti Solis Doyle, who was Clinton's campaign manager until February. Parkhomenko in 2003 founded the Draft Hillary for President Committee...

Clinton team acknowledges $20 million debt

Clinton aides continued to insist that she will remain in the race even while confirming that she is $20 million in debt. "The voters are going to decide this," senior adviser Howard Wolfson said on "Fox News Sunday," acknowledging the $20 million figure. "There is no reason for her not to continue this process." Wolfson said he has seen "no evidence of her interest" in pursuing the second-place spot on the Democratic ticket, contrary to rumors that she is staying in the race to leverage a bid for the vice presidential nomination...

Conyers very worried about Clinton

Rep. John Conyers said Saturday he is "very worried" that Hillary Clinton's continued campaign will make it more difficult to unify the Democratic Party this fall, but told fellow supporters of Barack Obama that the best way to end the nomination race is with kindness.

"Here's how we close this thing down early," the Detroit Democrat told 100 or more Obama supporters. "We are going to be real nice to anybody who did not support Sen. Obama. Real nice. Super nice.

"It's the most difficult thing one can do in the political system: Beat the crap out of your opponent, and then be nice and friendly after you do it."

McAuliffe: need 'something big'

Terry McAuliffe, campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton, admitted Sunday that “something big would have to happen” for his candidate to overtake Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

However, McAuliffe vowed that the campaign would press on, despite increasing calls for Clinton to step aside.

Hillary courts media backlash, protest vote

The legions of Hillary Rodham Clinton backers still investing their cash, energy and emotion into her faltering bid for the Democratic presidential nomination seem driven not by the reasonable expectation that she can beat Barack Obama, but by the emotional desire to see her through to the end of voting and stick it to those who have already written her off.

Clinton’s campaign is fanning the flames of that backlash — against the media, against superdelegates who recently backed Obama and against Obama himself. Aides hope to convert the sentiments into protest votes that could deliver landslide victories in West Virginia and Kentucky, Clinton strongholds that are among the next three states to cast ballots.

Hillary's 'Mother's Day Celebration' in 'home of Mother's Day'

Twice during her remarks, she cited e-mails she has received from supporters, most of them women, encouraging her to fight on. She said her favorite was from a woman named Angela who urged her to “keep strong.” “It’s not over until the lady in the pantsuit says it is,” Clinton said, quoting the letter.

... “Happy Mother’s Day,” the woman wrote to Clinton. “Hopefully I’ll be wishing you one next year as president. You have already succeeded at the world’s hardest job, being a mother. The second hardest job should be a breeze for you.”

Edwards hints that Clinton give up race

John Edwards, an influential Democrat and erstwhile candidate for the presidential nomination, cautioned Sunday that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton "has to be really careful that she's not damaging our prospects" by staying in the contest now that Senator Barack Obama appears to have won it.