Obama supporters step up effort to woo Hispanic, union voters

Barack Obama's supporters are launching renewed efforts to shore up support among two key constituencies - Hispanics and union members.

The AFL-CIO announced that, starting yesterday, it was sending mailers to more than 600,000 union households in the key battleground states of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. "Union voters, like many voters across the country, are still learning about Senator Obama and have heard many things - some true, some false," the AFL-CIO said.

So one mailer tries to dispel the false rumors that Obama is Muslim, that he used a Koran for his Senate swearing-in, that he will not wear a flag lapel pin, that he won't put his hand over his heart while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and that he wasn't born in the United States.

The other mailer features testimonials about his record on jobs, healthcare, and workers' rights.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee and Obama's campaign yesterday announced a $20 million effort to mobilize Hispanic voters.

The campaign plans to spread the money in all 50 states but will emphasize their efforts in swing states such as Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New Mexico, Temo Figueroa, the Latino vote director for the Obama campaign, said at a news conference. The campaign said the money will be spent on registering and mobilizing voters, advertisements, and online organizing. It also plans to put additional staff in the four states and aims to train about 500 Latino organizers.

While Obama did not do as well among Latino voters as rival Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries, a Pew Hispanic Center survey released last week gave Obama a 66 percent to 23 percent lead among Hispanic voters over Republican John McCain.

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Officials say McCain's mole-like growth is benign

John McCain's doctors announced last night that the mole-like growth removed from his face Monday is benign.

"The biopsy that was performed did not show any evidence of skin cancer. No further treatment is necessary," the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., said in a statement issued by the McCain campaign.

McCain, who has survived four bouts of melanoma, had the piece of skin excised from the right side of his face during a routine exam on Monday.

FOON RHEE

Obama discusses housing crisis with Bush officials

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama discussed the mortgage crisis yesterday with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and steps the government is taking to shore up the economy, his campaign said.

As part of the government's effort to provide mortgage relief to hundreds of thousands of homeowners, Paulson has sought emergency power to rescue lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In a phone call with Paulson, Obama made clear that he "believes that the new housing legislation should be used as a way to protect homeowners and not bail out shareholders or managers."

In an hour-long meeting with Bernanke, Obama also discussed the state of financial institutions, spokesman Michael Ortiz said. Ortiz said Obama "made clear his respect for the independence of the Federal Reserve system and the special importance of its role during periods of economic uncertainty."

Obama also met yesterday with Pakistan's new leader, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at the Willard Hotel. Obama, who has called for more cooperation from Pakistan in going after al Qaeda in the border region with Afghanistan, issued a statement calling the discussion "productive and wide-ranging" and saying topics included nuclear proliferation and human rights as well as terror threats originating from the Pakistani tribal areas.

"Pakistan is an extremely important partner to the United States, and we covered a number of issues vital to the security of both our nations," said Obama.

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McCain, Obama camps unveil new online attacks

The national Democratic and Republican parties are each out with new online attacks on the other's presidential standard-bearer.

With a Web video, the Democratic National Committee hits John McCain for campaign cash, citing a Washington Post report that since McCain changed his position and came out in favor of more offshore oil drilling, a "gusher" of Big Oil money came his way - $1.1 million last month, as much as in the prior 18 months total.

The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, launched a new website, a parody of a Facebook site, that highlights Barack Obama's links with not-so-pristine characters such as Tony Rezko, a past fund-raiser who was convicted last month by a federal jury on corruption charges, and William Ayers, a 1960s radical.

FOON RHEE