IN THE HEADLINES
Playing it safe, Obama steps indorse from McCain's challenge for a series of summer debates ... Obama blames cynicism, not racism, for McCain strategy that he says distracts from real issues ... McCain vetting Va. Rep. Eric Cantor as possible vice presidential running mate
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Obama backs away from McCain's debate challenge
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic candidate Barack Obama has backed away from rival John McCain's challenge for a series of joint appearances, agreeing solely to the standard trey debates in the fall.
In May, when a McCain adviser proposed a series of pre-convention appearances at town hall meetings, Obama said, "I think that's a great idea." In summer stumping on the campaign drop back, McCain has often noted that Obama had not followed through and joined him in any events.
Obama's reversal on town asaph Hall debates is part of a play-it-safe strategy he's adopted since claiming the nomination and grabbing a lead in national polls. Advisers to the Illinois senator, public speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss strategy, say Obama is loath to take chances or give McCain a high profile stage now that Obama's the front-runner.
On Saturday, in a letter of the alphabet to the Commission on Presidential Debates, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe aforesaid the short period between the last political convention and the first proposed debate made it likely that the commission-sponsored debates would be the entirely ones.
"We've committed to the three debates on the table," military campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Saturday in an interview. "It's likely they will be the three appearances by the candidates this fall."
Asked by The Associated Press if that meant Obama would not agree to whatever other debates, Psaki aforesaid, "We're not saying that." She aforementioned the McCain campaign had rejected Obama's proposal for two articulation town manor hall meetings.
McCain's campaign disparaged Obama for support off. McCain has not yet formally agreed to the commission-sponsored debates, but the McCain campaign says he plans to.
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Obama accuses McCain camp of cynicism, not racism
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Republican candidate John McCain's presidential campaign is cynical, non racist, in its efforts to deflect voters from real issues, says Democratic rival Barack Obama.
"In no way do I think that John McCain's political campaign was being racist," Obama said in his first meeting with reporters since predicting that McCain and other Republicans would taste to panic attack voters because Obama looks unlike "all those other presidents on the dollar bills" - most of them older white men.
"I think they're cynical," he said. "And I think they want to disorder people from talking close to the real issues."
Obama spent a second day in Florida to speak to the National Urban League, the predominantly black group McCain had addressed a day originally. The Illinois senator offered a torrid defense of his labor to pad the nation's schools and dismissed what he called McCain's "slim record on education."
Obama likewise used Florida - a state both sides see as central to triumph in November - as the setting for a shift in policy on offshore oil colour drilling. While still opposed to expanding oil exploration and growth on American coastlines, he said he could hit compromise on the publication if drilling initiatives were part of a wide program aimed at push independence.
"What I'm interested in, ultimately, is going to be governing," he told reporters at a sunrise news conference. "What that means is we're going to have to try to get things done."
Asked about the McCain campaign's claim that Obama had "played the race card" - one McCain spokesman had suggested that McCain was being painted as a racist - Obama called the criticism an attempt to alter the campaign's focus.
He added of the Republicans' approach: "They're very serious at negative campaigning. They're not so good at governing."
A McCain campaign spokesman, Tucker Bounds, contended that Obama was backing off.
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In veep search, McCain asks Cantor for records
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - John McCain's campaign has asked Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor for personal documents as the Republican presidential candidate steps up his search for a running mate, The Associated Press has learned.
Cantor, 45, the chief surrogate minority lash in the House, has been mentioned among several Republicans as a possible running mate for McCain. A Republican familiar with the conversations between Cantor and the McCain drive said Cantor has been asked to turn over documents, just did not know specifically what records were sought.
The individual radius on the condition of anonymity because neither the McCain safari nor Cantor's office wishes to discuss the running mate excerption process.
Cantor through a spokesman declined to comment. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said the drive would
