Race for '08: John McCain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Wednesday Iran's missile tests proved a need for direct U.S. talks with Tehran while Republican John McCain emphasized sanctions and an anti-missile shield.

SOUTH PARK, Pa. - The two main presidential candidates agreed Wednesday that Iran's missile tests call for renewed pressure on that country, but Democrat Barack Obama stressed direct diplomacy while Republican John McCain focused on tougher sanctions against Tehran.

WASHINGTON - The AFL-CIO plans to begin airing an ad in six presidential battleground states on Thursday that features a Vietnam combat veteran criticizing John McCain's stance on the war in Iraq and on veterans issues.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama could take longer to implement environmental policies than Republican rival John McCain, but he will be greener in the long run, a renewable fund manager said.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democrat Barack Obama Wednesday called for aggressive diplomacy with Iran while Republican John McCain warned against making any concessions, as Tehran's missile tests jolted the White House race.

Going strictly by the numbers, the biggest perceived difference between Barack Obama and John McCain can be found on the issue of Iraq. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Democrats think the Democrat's top priority in Iraq will be getting the troops home. Rasmussen Reports national telephone surveys show that 76% believe McCain's top priority will be to finish the job in the Middle Eastern country.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called Iran a threat that should be contained with diplomacy and tighter sanctions on Wednesday, and Republican John McCain said Tehran's missile test proved the need for a missile defense shield in Europe.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Wednesday called for the United States to establish a missile defense shield in Europe to counter Iranian ambitions after that country test-fired nine missiles.

WASHINGTON - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama sought Tuesday to send the same message to a critical constituency: They understand that Hispanics share the same economic concerns as other Americans — and they will help the whole country prosper.

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- Senator John McCain will be on the spot, in person or by his absence, when the Senate takes up a measure today to halt a cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Iraq's hardening demand for a pullout deadline for US troops on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the White House campaign, putting Republican hopeful John McCain on the defensive.

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain intends to talk about how teachers are paid and tutoring for poor kids when he goes before the NAACP convention next week.

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama says John McCain's plan to balance the budget doesn't add up. Easy for him to say: It's not a goal he's even trying to reach.

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Tuesday he would support a move by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to keep an emergency lending facility for big Wall Street firms open longer than originally planned.

PITTSBURGH - Republican presidential candidate John McCain played down reports Tuesday that Iraqi officials are increasing pressure on the United States to agree to a specific timeline to withdraw its forces.

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Presidential candidate John McCain, who once sang in jest about bombing Iran, on Tuesday reacted to a report of rising U.S. cigarette exports to the country by saying it may be "a way of killing 'em."

Returning to an issue that nearly sank his campaign last year, John McCain reaffirmed his support for comprehensive immigration reform Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - In his first negative ad of the general election campaign, Democrat Barack Obama said John McCain is "part of the problem" of high gas prices and tried to parry Republican criticism of his own energy policy.

WASHINGTON - Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said Tuesday that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain would carry out the Bush administration's missile defense plans in Poland if he were elected.

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. - Barack Obama called on Tuesday for changing federal bankruptcy laws to help military families, seniors and victims of natural disasters, and accused John McCain of repeatedly siding with the banking industry when Congress acted on the issue.

TITLE: "Love."

WASHINGTON - If the presidential election were up to pet owners, John McCain could have a blue ribbon in his future.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican White House hopeful John McCain on Tuesday insisted he could balance the deficit-plagued US federal budget within four years, despite skepticism from Democrats and some economists.

WASHINGTON - Appeal to the party's base, secure the nomination, then tack back to the center for the general election. It's a time-honored tradition in American presidential politics. And in the past few weeks, Barack Obama, far more than John McCain, has made such maneuvers a nearly daily feature of his campaign.

DENVER - Barack Obama and John McCain agree on this much: The economy is staggering under the Bush administration, and Americans are hurting. But who's to blame and how best to fix it?

If John McCain keeps slamming Barack Obama as just another political opportunist instead of a naive, committed leftist, the public will see through both of them, and in a Democratic year that will leave Obama ahead

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul was another sign of a "severe deterioration" of security in Afghanistan, and promised to go on the offensive against Al-Qaeda.

Fully 61% of voters say it is more important for the next president to focus on domestic policy, while just 22% cite foreign policy, a view broadly shared by voters across the political spectrum. Solid majorities of both Barack Obama supporters (66%) and John McCain supporters (57%) say it is more important for the next president to focus on domestic issues.

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain clashed over how to boost the ailing U.S. economy on Monday, with Obama pushing for a new stimulus package to help homeowners and McCain pressing for low income taxes and incentives for small business.

July 7 (Bloomberg) -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama began dueling week-long tours today to burnish their economic credentials, reciting proposals and accusations that they have made throughout their campaigns.