ON THE TRAIL

The Associated Press

May 6, 2008

Sen. John McCain said yesterday the focus on illegal immigration during the Republican primary race harmed his party's image among Hispanics. Speaking in Phoenix at a news conference on Cinco de Mayo, McCain said Hispanic citizens want America's borders secured and undocumented immigrants to be treated humanely. He said low-income, Hispanic citizens are vulnerable to losing their jobs to the lower wages accepted by illegal immigrants. McCain also said local governments would not have to take on immigration problems had the federal government overhauled the country's immigration policies. - The Associated Press

Voter excitement, always up before a presidential election, is pushing registration through the roof this year - with more than 3.5 million people rushing to join in the historic balloting, according to an Associated Press survey. Figures are up for blacks, women and young people. Rural and city. South and North. Overall, the AP found that more than one in 66 adult Americans signed up to vote in the first three months of the year. In the 20 states that provided comparable data, new registrations have soared about 65 percent from the 2004 campaign. - The Associated Press