Obama: 'I'll Take on Anybody'; Is McCain Breaking Campaign Finance Law?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, Barack Obama refusing to ignore fresh criticism of his former pastor. The Democrat back on the campaign trail today and coming out swinging against both Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Clinton keeps saying it isn't over yet. Is it all talk, or can she still win the nomination? I'll speak live with a governor who says he wants to solve the Democrats' stalemate with a superdelegate mini convention. And Republican John McCain makes his support for the Iraq war very personal. We're going to tell you how. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Barack Obama is back from his vacation today and he is apparently ready to fight. He returned to the sore subject that Hillary Clinton put back on the front burner just a day ago. That would be the flap involving his former pastor and his racially-charged remarks. Our Suzanne Malveaux is with Obama in North Carolina. She's joining us now from the scene. He's not yet able to put this entire flap behind him, is he, Suzanne?</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, he made it very clear today that he is not going to let this controversy over his former pastor knock him off his game. He was asked in a town hall setting to tell us what he means when he talks about his faith, what does Jesus Christ mean to him. Well, he talked about the golden rule and compassion for the poor, but then he also once again defended his association with his former pastor, as well as his church.</s>MALVEAUX (voice-over): A warning to senator Hillary Clinton.</s>SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll take on anybody. If I've got the American people behind me, then I fear no man, and I fear no woman.</s>MALVEAUX: Far from shying away from Clinton's criticism of Obama's controversial pastor, Obama offered this...</s>OBAMA: I hope people don't get distracted by that. We cannot solve the problems of America if every time somebody somewhere says something stupid, that everybody gets up in arms.</s>MALVEAUX: ... before a largely African-American audience, who occasionally offered Obama an "amen." The senator tried to put his black congregation in Chicago into a larger, more inviting context.</s>OBAMA: Everybody is welcome to come to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street. It is a wonderful, welcoming church. The United Church of Christ, by the way, is a 99 percent white denomination.</s>MALVEAUX: Obama needs white voters to support him in the contests ahead, most immediately in Pennsylvania, where polls show Clinton has an edge. Obama saved his most pointed criticism for the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, who he mocked as just another version of President Bush, neglecting those who are struggling economically.</s>OBAMA: George Bush called this the ownership society, but what he really meant was, you're on your own society. If you lose your job, you're on your own. If you got lured in by deceptive mortgage practices, you're on your own. And John McCain apparently wants to continue this.</s>MALVEAUX: Obama went on to criticize McCain, saying before he admitted he didn't know very much about the economy, and that yesterday, he said he proved that in his speech when it came to the housing crisis. Obviously, Wolf, this is an issue they feel really resonates with the voters, issue No. 1 on the economy, but also, it is very clear as well they figure they still have to address the concerns over this controversial pastor. So, at the same time, while he continues to talk about it, he also has this balancing act because he talks about not letting it distract the voters -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Suzanne, thank you. Suzanne Malveaux reporting. John McCain is in his comfort zone today talking about foreign policy. He gave his first major speech on the subject since clinching the Republican nomination, and he tried to put his world view into the context of his own life and of the Bush presidency. Our Dana Bash traveled with McCain out to California. She's watching this story for us. He tried to put his remarks in a very personal context, bringing back some memories even of his youth. Update our viewers, Dana, what he said.</s>DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He did, Wolf. He talked about three generations of military service, including his own. And that's a biography the McCain campaign intends to talk a lot more about next week. But this speech in particular was very much about laying out the McCain foreign policy, if there would be one in the White House. And he tried to draw very sharp contrasts with the Democrats and the current Republican president.</s>BASH (voice-over): John McCain's emphatic support for keeping troops in Iraq defines his candidacy but defies public opinion. Here, he tried to explain.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I hold my position because I hate war, and I know very well and very personally how grievous its wages are. But I know, too, that we must sometimes pay those wages to avoid paying even higher ones later on.</s>BASH: In his first major foreign policy address as presumptive Republican nominee, McCain used his son of veterans background and experience as a Vietnam POW as a contrast to Democrats he calls naive.</s>MCCAIN: I believe a reckless and premature withdrawal would be a terrible defeat for our security interests and our values.</s>BASH: He called staying in Iraq a moral responsibility, sounding a lot like George W. Bush. But this speech was mainly an attempt to highlight a McCain world view quite different from the president's.</s>MCCAIN: Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want, whenever we want.</s>BASH: Insisting he will abandon the president's perceived go-it- alone mentality.</s>MCCAIN: When we believe international action is necessary, whether military, economic or diplomatic, we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must be willing to be persuaded by them.</s>BASH: Suggesting an end to so-called cowboy diplomacy.</s>MCCAIN: We need to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our Democratic allies.</s>BASH: An attempt to show his commitment to restoring America's tarnished reputation, McCain repackaged a list of other differences with the president -- a treaty on climate change, nuclear disarmament, closing Guantanamo Bay.</s>BASH: McCain also broke from President Bush on the issue of Russia. He has a very tough stance on Russia, saying that that country should not be admitted to the G8 alliance. And, you know, that is one of many areas, as I mentioned, that he is trying to really show a contrast with the president. But Wolf, anybody looking at this speech, looking for new foreign policy proposals, really won't find any. Essentially what this was, was McCain laying out what his foreign policy would look like as president. And it's very much a benchmark if he does become president that he would be judged on -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, Dana. Thank you. Dana is out in Los Angeles. Dana and Suzanne Malveaux are both part of the Emmy Award-winning best political team on television. Remember, for the latest political news any time, you can always check out our political ticker at cnnpolitics.com. The ticker is the number one political news blog on the Web. That's also where you can read my latest blog post. Just posted one a few minutes ago. Let's go to Jack Cafferty. He's got "The Cafferty File." Hi, Jack.</s>JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, "It will be easier to elect a black man president than it will a woman." Those are the words of former senator 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern. He is actually a Hillary Clinton supporter, but he says he feels that where this country stands today in its thinking, it's going to be harder to elect a woman. He also says, "I wish that weren't true. I would love to see Hillary as president." McGovern says he sometimes hears from men who don't think a woman's ready to assume the responsibilities of the top office in the land. Some worry it's too big a job for a woman, or that she wouldn't be able to handle those terrorists. There are some cavemen who still live in the United States, apparently. McGovern says he rarely hears the same concerns about a black man. Some may question whether McGovern is just trying to lower the bar for his candidate, but a recent survey suggests he might be on to something. A CBS News poll shows 39 percent of those surveyed think a woman candidate faces more obstacles in presidential politics today, compared to 33 percent who feel that way about a black candidate. However, African-Americans disagree, saying by an overwhelming margin that black candidates have a harder time. When asked if people they know have judged Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama more harshly because of either race or gender, 42 percent say Clinton has had a tougher go of it. Just 27 percent say that about Obama. That's despite the fact that polling shows Americans see racism as a much more serious problem for the nation overall than sexism. Did you follow all that? Here's the question: George McGovern, who supports Hillary Clinton, says it will be easier to elect a black man as president than a woman. Is he right? Go to cnn.com/caffertyfile and post a comment on my blog -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Jack, thank you for that. If Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination, there is striking new evidence that a significant number of Democrats would actually jump ship and might even vote for John McCain. We're going to tell you what's going on. Plus, Hillary Clinton says don't count her out by any means. Can she convince voters she's still in it to win it? And what about those crucial superdelegates? Tennessee's governor, Phil Bredeson, he's standing by live. And Clinton supporters aren't pleased with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Is she really neutral -- a neutral observer in this Democratic contest? Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.