Today on the presidential campaign trail

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - IN THE HEADLINES

Obama heading back to where Democratic nomination race began to close circle ... Delegate pickups move Obama closer to clinching the Democratic presidential nomination ... McCain pokes fun at his own age on 'Saturday Night Live'

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Obama seeks focus on end of primary campaign

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Attempting to lay a symbolic claim to his party's presidential nomination, Democrat Barack Obama will mark the latest round of primary voting with a rally in Iowa, where his solid win in January caucuses propelled him to his status as the front-runner.

Obama was campaigning Saturday for primaries Tuesday in Oregon and Kentucky as his aides announced the rally on primary night in Iowa, which they described as "a critical general election state that Democrats must win in November."

Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton has a strong lead in polls in Kentucky, but Obama has the advantage in Oregon.

Obama has built a solid lead in Democratic National Convention delegates over Clinton, and is working overtime to cast an image of inevitability to his campaign for the nomination. In recent days, he has spent more time focused on his differences with certain Republican nominee John McCain than sparring with Clinton.

While touring a hospital Saturday, Obama was asked by X-ray technician Ron Spooner, "How do I know that I can trust you?"

"The nice thing is we're going to have four more months, five more months of active campaigning where you can watch and see if I am consistent, do I stay honest," said Obama. "Let me take your advice and let me make sure that I try to stay honest in what is sometimes a dishonest profession."

Though health care was his theme of the day, Obama returned to a debate launched Friday with McCain on foreign policy. Both President Bush and McCain suggested that Democrats couldn't be trusted to be tough on terrorists, a charge Obama has rejected.

"The other side is going to keep calling us the same names, making the same cheap shots, using the same fear tactics they've used for the last four decades," said Obama.

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Obama picks up delegates in Kan., Md., Nev.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Barack Obama inched closer to securing the Democratic presidential nomination with delegate pickups in Nevada, Kansas and Maryland.

In Nevada, Obama took a delegate from rival Hillary Rodham Clinton by drawing more supporters at the state Democratic convention Saturday.

A vote of more than 2,500 convention delegates broke 55-45 percent in Obama's favor, giving Obama 14 of Nevada's 25 pledged delegates to the National Democratic Convention in Denver this summer to Clinton's 11.

The shift is a gain of one pledged delegate for Obama over the split calculated after the state's January caucuses.

Although Clinton won the support of 51 percent of the caucus-goers in January, under the complicated system of awarding delegates Obama was put on track to winning 13 delegates to Clinton's 12.

Nevada Democrats were also scheduled to select an additional unpledged, or "add-on," delegate later in the day.

In an attempt to draw supporters, the Clinton campaign sent the New York senator's most popular surrogate to speak on her behalf, former President Clinton.

Faced with a vocal crowd of Obama backers, Clinton all but abandoned typical campaign rhetoric. He mentioned his wife's candidacy only briefly, and instead focused his comments on a call for party unity against the Republicans in November.

"Don't you forget why you came here. You did not go to all this trouble to have an argument with each other," Clinton said. "The argument is necessary so we can pick the best president and the most electable one. Those are the only two things that matter ... After that, we have to get the show on the road, folks. We have a country to change and a future to secure."

Kansas Democrats also held their state convention Saturday, selecting Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson as an add-on delegate. He endorsed Obama in February.

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McCain makes age jokes on 'SNL'

WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain is 71 years old, and his age has provided late-night comics with some easy punch lines. On "Saturday Night Live," he joined in.

"I ask you, what should we be looking for in our next president?" McCain said. "Certainly, someone who is very, very, very old."

The certain Republican presidential nominee appeared in a phony campaign ad in which he promised to put an end to runaway government spending, claiming he had never sought money for his home state, Arizona.

"Controlling government spending isn't just about Republicans or Democrats," he said. "It's about being able to look your children in the eye. Or in my case, my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and great-great-great-grandchildren, the youngest of whom are nearing retirement."

"I have the courage, the wisdom, the experience and, most importantly, the oldness necessary," McCain said. "The oldness it takes to protect America, to honor her, love her and tell her about what cute things the cat did."

Later, during the program's "Weekend Update" segment, McCain urged Democrats not to rush to choose between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

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THE DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton stops in Bowling Green and Mayfield, Ky. Barack Obama meets with voters in Gresham, Portland and Pendleton, Ore.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain is in Washington, D.C.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"We've waited, fought a lot for this. I do worry that my generation won't see a female president." — Laurine Glynn, 72, a Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter from New York City.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

John Kerry garnered 79 percent of the Democratic presidential primary vote in Oregon in 2004, while Dennis Kucinich got 16 percent — his best showing in that year's contests.

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Compiled by Ann Sanner and Ronald Powers.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080518/ap_on_el_pr/2008_race_rundown [link]