Today on the presidential campaign trail

By The Associated Press

4:25 AM EDT, July 6, 2008

IN THE HEADLINES

Enthusiastic churchgoers welcome Obama at St. Louis event ... McCain sees himself a GOP underdog in an election year in which trends favor Democrats ... Obama's daughter turns 10 in Montana, says 'best birthday' ever

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Religious group gives Obama enthusiastic welcome

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Barack Obama celebrated "active faith" as an obligation of religious Americans and a chief agent of societal change while speaking to a roomful of churchgoers, but hoping to reach far beyond them.

Making a less than two-hour stop Saturday in this battleground state, the Democratic presidential nominee implored the thousands attending a national meeting of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the nation's largest and most politically active black denominations, to help fix national and local ills.

He preached individual responsibility, saying he knew he risked criticism for "blaming the victim" by talking of the need for parents to help children with homework and turn off the TV, to pass on a healthy self-image to daughters, and teach boys both to respect women and "realize that responsibility does not end at conception."

But Obama's main message was the government's duty to address what he said are "moral problems" -- such as war, poverty, joblessness, homelessness, violent streets and crumbling schools -- and to employ religious institutions to do it.

"As long as we're not doing everything in our individual and collective power to solve the challenges we face, the conscience of our nation cannot rest," he said.

Obama made frequent references to the civil-rights movement and continuing struggles in the black community.

"We are not constrained by the accident of birth but can make of our lives what we will," Obama said. He was greeted when he arrived in the vast hall by the most thunderous cheering, waving and screaming that he has heard all week.

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McCain struggles to regain footing

WASHINGTON (AP) -- John McCain calls himself an underdog. That may be an understatement.

The GOP presidential candidate trails Democrat Barack Obama in polls, organization and money while trying to succeed a deeply unpopular fellow Republican in a year that favors Democrats. McCain also doesn't seem to have a coherent message let alone much of a strategy despite securing the nomination three months earlier than Obama.

"This is a tough race. We are behind. We are the underdog. That's what I like to be," the GOP nominee-in-waiting frequently tells donors these days, keenly aware not only of his woes but also his proven comeback ability: He won his party's nomination despite the implosion of his campaign last summer.

One year later, and now in the general election, McCain's troubles are so acute that he recently gave senior adviser Steve Schmidt "full operational control" of the day-to-day campaign and, effectively, scaled back the duties of campaign manager Rick Davis. The shift in responsibilities came after weeks of Republican quibbling that McCain had not adequately made the transition for the fall.

"The frustration is there's no big theme around which to build a winning campaign," said Steve Lombardo, a Republican pollster. "They need a big strategic message that will show the differences between the two campaigns, and allow for a win."

Hope is far from lost: The election is still four months away. The national conventions and the presidential debates are upcoming. Conservative evangelical leaders skeptical of McCain are now coalescing around him. The race remains competitive. And, Obama's campaign is far from flawless.

McCain also is beefing up his staff with more presidential campaign veterans under the guidance of Schmidt, a top aide in President Bush's re-election effort and the operative who led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a come-from-behind victory in California two years ago.