Obama repeats calls for blacks to show greater responsibility

CINCINNATI - Democrat Barack Obama insisted last night that while Washington must provide greater education and economic assistance, blacks must demand more of themselves and show greater responsibility - a challenge that has upset some black leaders.

We "have to do more in our own lives, our own families and our own communities," Obama said in remarks prepared for delivery at the annual NAACP convention. "That starts with providing the guidance our children need, turning off the TV and putting away the video games; attending those parent-teacher conferences, helping our children with their homework and setting a good example."

The man who could become the first black president added: "I'm not going to stop talking about it. Because I believe that in the end, it doesn't matter how much money we invest in our communities, or how many 10-point plans we propose, or how many government programs we launch - none of it will make any difference if we don't seize more responsibility in our own lives."

A similar speech on Father's Day prompted an awkward rebuke from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Democratic presidential contender in 1984 and 1988, who apologized last week after being caught saying on an open microphone that he wanted to castrate Obama for speaking down to blacks.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain is scheduled to address the NAACP convention tomorrow.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

John McCain reached out yesterday to Hispanic voters, telling them that he is an ally on immigration reform - and hitting Democratic rival Barack Obama for allegedly ducking the issue.

Obama and other Democrats have accused McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, of changing his position on comprehensive reform in the face of conservative criticism. During the GOP primaries, McCain called for securing the borders before trying again to pass proposals including a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.

But McCain told the National Council of La Raza conference in San Diego that he had earned the trust of Latino voters by fighting for reform last year and casting "a lot of hard votes, as did the other Republicans and Democrats who joined our bipartisan effort."

"Senator Obama declined to cast some of those tough votes," McCain added. "He voted for and even sponsored amendments that were intended to kill the legislation."

Obama, who spoke to the same group on Sunday, also vows to push comprehensive reform if elected president. And the Democratic National Committee yesterday quickly accused McCain of double-talk on immigration, saying it is "proof he will say anything to get elected."

As evidence, it cited a campaign conference call Sunday during which one of McCain's advisers touted border security measures in a bill McCain is cosponsoring that also calls for making undocumented status a criminal misdemeanor.

FOON RHEE

Ralph Nader's independent presidential campaign yesterday turned in signatures to get on the November ballot in Rhode Island - the 10th state where his campaign has officially sought a spot on the ballot.

Nader's campaign said it submitted more than 2,000 signatures, twice as many as the minimum of 1,000 required, with Rhode Island's secretary of state. His campaign also turned in signatures yesterday in South Carolina, and says he will be well on the way to being on the ballot in 15 states by next week.

In Massachusetts, Nader said he has about 17,000 signatures in hand and is aiming for 20,000. He needs 10,000 valid signatures to get on the Bay State ballot.

According to a CNN poll released on July 1, Nader is at 6 percent - a higher standing, his campaign says, than he had at the same point in 2000, when he won nearly 3 percent of the vote nationwide and, in the eyes of many Democrats, cost Al Gore the race.

FOON RHEE

PARIS - Democrat Barack Obama will visit the West Bank next week as part of a swing through the Middle East, a Palestinian official said yesterday, giving an important diplomatic boost to the Palestinians at a sensitive time in peace talks.

Obama is to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his July 23 stop in Ramallah, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who was in Paris for a Mediterranean summit. "We welcome this meeting," Erekat said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS