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ON THE TRAIL

May 13, 2008

Sen. John McCain called for reductions in carbon emissions yesterday and criticized the Bush administration for failing to lead the fight against climate change. In a speech in Portland, Ore., the likely Republican presidential nominee proposed a "cap-and-trade" system to reduce greenhouse gases and allow the sale of rights to excess emissions by firms that reduce their own. He also said more international cooperation is needed. "I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears," McCain said.

Wearing a flag lapel pin, Sen. Barack Obama emphasized his patriotism and support for a strong military yesterday. Obama used his visit to Charleston, W.Va., to counter combat critics' claims that he is not ready to be commander in chief, in part because he never served in the military and usually does not wear a flag pin.

One of Hillary Rodham Clinton's major supporters, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), yesterday endorsed the idea of Clinton and Barack Obama's running together. "I think they'd be a strong ticket together," Schumer said at a breakfast in Manhattan.