Today on the presidential campaign trail

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - IN THE HEADLINES

Voters dislike Iraq war, split over McCain and Obama over who could best handle it ... Obama asks his fundraisers to help Hillary Clinton pay off millions in campaign debt ... Obama discusses his 'eclectic' tastes in music, raps about rap's bad rap ... Missouri senator McCaskill emerges as a top surrogate for Obama's presidential hopes

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Voters split over McCain, Obama on Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain's stance on the war is unambiguous: He voted for it, supports the current enhanced U.S. troop presence in Iraq and vigorously opposes any timetable to withdraw.

The public's stance on the war is as equivocal as McCain's is not: A strong majority of Americans oppose it and believe it was wrong in the first place, but more find McCain better suited to handle Iraq than his Democratic presidential rival, Barack Obama.

For McCain, there is a major complication. Not all those voters who perceive him as stronger on Iraq say they will vote for him for president.

Unlike the 2004 presidential contest, this is not shaping up as a national security election. Neither the war nor terrorism is foremost in the public's mind. The economy and energy prices are the pre-eminent issues of the day. And on those, Obama has the edge.

Still, this hate-the-war, love-the-warrior strain runs through the American electorate. In a new Associated Press-Yahoo News poll, more than one out of five of the respondents who said they opposed the war also said they support McCain for president. The sentiment does not discriminate by gender or by age. Most significantly, it splits independent voters in favor of McCain.

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Obama shares fundraisers with Clinton

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama is sharing one his most valuable assets — his top fundraisers — with former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to help her pay off her debt, the latest effort to heal the wounds of a bruising primary campaign.

Obama on Tuesday asked his finance team to help Clinton pay back at least $10 million from her failed presidential campaign, setting the stage for joint appearances by the two former rivals later in the week.

In a teleconference with his top fundraisers, Obama asked them to do what they could to help Clinton, according to two Democrats familiar with the call. A campaign spokesman confirmed that Obama had asked them to help the former first lady.

"Some of our donors have asked and Barack said if they have the ability to raise or give money to help on debt, we encourage them to do so," spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Obama's green light to his money bundlers came two days before he and Clinton were scheduled to meet in Washington with some of her top fundraisers in a show of unity after their bruising contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Friday, the two planned to campaign together in New Hampshire.

Obama clinched the nomination earlier this month; Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed him.

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Rap, rock, classical — music to Obama's ears

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bob Dylan. Yo-Yo Ma. Sheryl Crow. Jay-Z. These aren't musical acts in a summer concert series: They're artists featured on Barack Obama's iPod.

"I have pretty eclectic tastes," the Democratic presidential contender said in an interview to be published in Friday's issue of Rolling Stone.

Growing up in the '70s, Obama said, he listened to the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire. Stevie Wonder is his musical hero from the era. The Stones' "Gimme Shelter" tops his favorites from the band.

The Illinois senator's playlist contains these musicians, along with about 30 songs from Dylan and the singer's "Blood on the Tracks" album. Jazz legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker are also in the mix.

"Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is 'Maggie's Farm,'" Obama said of one of Dylan's tracks. "It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric."

In the song, Dylan sings about trying be himself, "but everybody wants you to be just like them."

Several musicians on Obama's iPod support his bid for the White House, including Bruce Springsteen. Earlier this month, Dylan told a British newspaper that he believes Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a nation in upheaval.

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McCaskill emerging as key Obama supporter

WASHINGTON (AP) — Claire McCaskill, senator from Missouri, is hardly a household name outside her home state. But Barack Obama knows who she is.

She was there when Obama needed her most, a female senator endorsing him just after he lost New Hampshire's Democratic primary to Hillary Rodham Clinton. That was a politically risky move at the time, one that angered many of her own supporters. It came when Obama's clinching the nomination was far from certain.

Since then, the plainspoken former prosecutor and state auditor has been all over TV news and political talk shows as a top surrogate for the campaign. Obama calls her one of his closest advisers. She's even offering guidance on possible vice presidential picks and her name has popped up as a potential running mate.

"They want to use her so much because she's the epitome of the target voter they're looking for," says Democratic strategist Jenny Backus.

For Obama, McCaskill has been crucial in reaching out to some of the female voters who flocked to Clinton during the primaries.

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THE DEMOCRATS

Barack Obama holds a news conference in Chicago.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain campaigns in Las Vegas.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"I don't know if I agree with stay-the-course (policy), but I think the good probably outweighs the bad with him, experience-wise." — Ann Burkes, a registered Democrat and retired third-grade teacher from Broken Arrow, Okla., speaking about Republican John McCain.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

Republican Mitt Romney won the little-contested Nevada caucuses in January with 51 percent. Ron Paul garnered about 14 percent, while John McCain came in third with almost 13 percent.

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Compiled by Ann Sanner.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080625/ap_on_el_pr/2008_race_rundown [link]