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Democrats urged to wrap up fight | Democrats urged to wrap up fight |
(about 5 hours later) | |
US Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean has said he would like the party's presidential nominating contest decided by 1 July to avoid bitter in-fighting. | US Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean has said he would like the party's presidential nominating contest decided by 1 July to avoid bitter in-fighting. |
Mr Dean told US network ABC he did not want rivalry between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to "degenerate into a big fight at the convention" in August. | Mr Dean told US network ABC he did not want rivalry between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to "degenerate into a big fight at the convention" in August. |
Mr Obama has begun a six-day tour of Pennsylvania, which votes on 22 April. | Mr Obama has begun a six-day tour of Pennsylvania, which votes on 22 April. |
Meanwhile the Republican contender John McCain has aired his first advert aimed at November's general election. | Meanwhile the Republican contender John McCain has aired his first advert aimed at November's general election. |
The Arizona senator is effectively guaranteed to pick up his party's nomination to run for president at the Republican National Convention in September. | The Arizona senator is effectively guaranteed to pick up his party's nomination to run for president at the Republican National Convention in September. |
In the Democratic contest, Senator Obama is ahead of Senator Clinton in terms of the number of delegates won in the party's primary elections. | In the Democratic contest, Senator Obama is ahead of Senator Clinton in terms of the number of delegates won in the party's primary elections. |
But the battle for the presidential nomination seems set to continue all the way to the party's national convention in late August. | But the battle for the presidential nomination seems set to continue all the way to the party's national convention in late August. |
'Personal criticism' | 'Personal criticism' |
Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America show on Friday, Mr Dean urged the two Democratic rivals to focus on the general election battle rather than attacks on each other. | Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America show on Friday, Mr Dean urged the two Democratic rivals to focus on the general election battle rather than attacks on each other. |
Mr Obama has picked up the backing of a Pennsylvania senator | Mr Obama has picked up the backing of a Pennsylvania senator |
"I think it would be nice to have this all done by 1 July," he said. "If we can do it sooner than that, that's all the better." | "I think it would be nice to have this all done by 1 July," he said. "If we can do it sooner than that, that's all the better." |
Mr Dean added that there had been "some personal criticism" in campaigning, a reference to a series of increasingly sharp exchanges between the Clinton and Obama teams. | Mr Dean added that there had been "some personal criticism" in campaigning, a reference to a series of increasingly sharp exchanges between the Clinton and Obama teams. |
He repeated his call for party unity on network CBS, saying: "I think the candidates have got to understand that they have an obligation to our country to unify. | He repeated his call for party unity on network CBS, saying: "I think the candidates have got to understand that they have an obligation to our country to unify. |
"Somebody's going to lose this race with 49.8% of the vote, and that person has got to pull their supporters in behind the nominee." | "Somebody's going to lose this race with 49.8% of the vote, and that person has got to pull their supporters in behind the nominee." |
As he embarked on his bus tour through Pennsylvania, the next state to vote, Mr Obama picked up the endorsement of its popular Democratic Senator Bob Casey. | |
Speaking at a rally in Pittsburgh, Mr Casey said Mr Obama was "uniquely qualified" to lead the nation. His backing may help Mr Obama win over the state's white working-class voters. | |
Mrs Clinton, who is leading in polls in Pennsylvania, has been endorsed by the state's Governor Ed Rendell, Representative John Murtha and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. | |
Meanwhile, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy - who has backed Mr Obama - urged Mrs Clinton to withdraw from the race, saying she "had every right, but not a very good reason" to continue. | |
Pastor row | Pastor row |
Both Democratic presidential contenders have experienced challenges on the campaign trail over the past two weeks. | |
Mrs Clinton was pressed over claims she made about a Bosnia trip | Mrs Clinton was pressed over claims she made about a Bosnia trip |
Mrs Clinton was forced to acknowledge that she "misspoke" when she described landing under fire on a visit to Bosnia as first lady in 1996. | |
Mr Obama was hit by a furore over controversial remarks made by his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, last week, which prompted the Illinois senator to give a major speech on race relations. | Mr Obama was hit by a furore over controversial remarks made by his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, last week, which prompted the Illinois senator to give a major speech on race relations. |
The row was revived this week when Mrs Clinton said she would not have continued to belong to Mr Wright's church given his comments. | The row was revived this week when Mrs Clinton said she would not have continued to belong to Mr Wright's church given his comments. |
Mr Obama suggested in an interview with ABC's The View that he would have left the Chicago church he has attended for two decades had Mr Wright not retired. | |
Campaign advert | |
A national poll by the Pew Research Center suggests Mr Obama has weathered the storm over Mr Wright's comments, with the Illinois senator winning 49% support among voters to Mrs Clinton's 39%. | A national poll by the Pew Research Center suggests Mr Obama has weathered the storm over Mr Wright's comments, with the Illinois senator winning 49% support among voters to Mrs Clinton's 39%. |
Republican John McCain will hope to get a headstart on the Democrats | |
The poll - released on Thursday - gave both a narrow lead over Mr McCain in a general election contest. | The poll - released on Thursday - gave both a narrow lead over Mr McCain in a general election contest. |
Mr McCain may be seeking to get a headstart on his eventual Democratic rival by airing his first general election campaign advert on Friday. | Mr McCain may be seeking to get a headstart on his eventual Democratic rival by airing his first general election campaign advert on Friday. |
The advert describes him as "the American president Americans have been waiting for" and juxtaposes footage of him campaigning with images from his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. | |
Mr McCain appeared at a fundraising event with former Republican rival Mitt Romney in Utah on Thursday. | |
Earlier this week, he set out plans to help the country through its current economic downturn, as did Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton. | Earlier this week, he set out plans to help the country through its current economic downturn, as did Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton. |
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