from the News and Observer

Both Democratic presidential candidates will be in North Carolina over the next two days. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will make her first public appearance in the state Thursday with stops in Raleigh, Fayetteville and Winston-Salem.

Her trip will follow a visit by Sen. Barack Obama to Greensboro today. Last week, Obama spoke to audiences in Fayetteville and Charlotte.

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Barack Obama will return to North Carolina on Wednesday to host a town hall meeting in Greensboro.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson of Greensboro made the announcement at the Guilford County Democrats this morning, after declaring her endorsement of Senator Obama's campaign.

"Senator Obama has outlined a broad agenda for change and shown his unique ability to bring people of all backgrounds, beliefs and party affiliations together to make change happen," Mayor Johnson said. "I'm proud to endorse his candidacy and pleased that Barack Obama is bringing his campaign for change right here to Greensboro. This will be an historic opportunity for North Carolinians and citizens of Greensboro to hear Senator Obama's message, and to play a decisive role in choosing our party's nominee."

Obama will meet with North Carolina voters and share his plans to jumpstart the economy, improve our education system, end the War in Iraq, and make quality health care affordable and accessible to all Americans.

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Democrat Barack Obama on Friday pledged better care for America's veterans if elected president.

Obama, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, promised improved medical care and an end to delays of disability claims. He proposed hiring more workers to handle claims, and making veterans' medical records electronic so they can be easily reached.

"As president, I won't stand for hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting for benefits," he told a crowd of about 300 people at a community college in northern Iowa.

On Friday, Obama also began running a new TV ad in Iowa, focusing on his early opposition to the war in Iraq. The ad features an endorsement from former Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, the former chief of staff of the Air Force. McPeak, who supported Bob Dole's Republican presidential bid in 1996 and George Bush's in 2000, has been a longtime critic of the Iraq War.

Democrats' dissatisfaction with their party's top presidential prospects is one reason little-known candidate Christopher Dodd's campaign will be in the hunt early next year, the Connecticut senator said in Iowa Thursday.
"I think there is an unease that people are feeling about the leading choices," Dodd said in a Des Moines Register interview. "There's going to be a lot of movement over the next nine or ten months." Dodd declined to elaborate on what misgivings he believed voters had about the top Democratic candidates. Early Iowa polls and national surveys show to be New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, while Dodd lags in the back of the pack.

"My sense of it is people feel the door's open, obviously despite resources and attention," Dodd said.

Last week, Clinton, Obama and Edwards reported raising a staggering combined total of $75 million in the first quarter of the year, with Clinton edging Obama as the field's top fundraiser with her $26-million effort.

Philadelphia is set to play host to Campaign '08 when seven democratic candidates debate at Drexel University on Tuesday night.

It has been more than 30 years since Philadelphia has seen a debate between presidential candidates, but it will be the eighth time the seven leading democratic candidates seeking a shot at the White House have faced off, reported CBS station KYW-TV in Philadelphia.

During the nationally televised debate, candidates are expected to discuss various topics, including the economy, healthcare and the ongoing war in Iraq.

Early favorite Sen. Hillary Clinton will join Sens. Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich onstage for the debate.

The debate starts at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC and MSNBC.com. Drexel University will also offer a live stream on its Web site.

Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton rejoins the health care debate in earnest Monday with a plan to expand coverage. Positions of other presidential candidates:

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: Require employers to share costs of insuring workers and ensure all children are covered. Offer coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes to pay the cost.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: Expand health insurance to cover all children and to make catastrophic care available for all; look to states for ideas on moving toward universal coverage.