Today on the presidential campaign trail

The Associated Press

IN THE HEADLINES

Obama gets front-runner's welcome back at the Capitol, wins superdelegate support ... Organized labor sharpening campaign against McCain as Obama solidifies front-runner status ... Clinton vows to keep running, calls on Obama to debate her again ...

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Obama gets big welcome - and fresh support - on Capitol tour

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama got a front-runner's welcome back at the Capitol on Thursday, pressing congressional "superdelegates" to support him in a visit that had the look and feel of a campaign victory lap.

On the House floor, he was quickly surrounded by well-wishers calling him, "Mr. President" and reaching out to pat him on the back or shake his hand. The glad-handers included a few Republicans and supporters of his Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

He picked up the superdelegate support of at least two lawmakers: Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina, where Obama handily won the primary on Tuesday, and Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington state.

Obama predicted he would lose the next two contests to Clinton - West Virginia and Kentucky - but said he expected to win other states. His presence here underscored the nomination math: The remaining six primaries and their 217 delegates are not what matters most in the winding-down campaign.

More important are the 260-plus superdelegates who are yet to be claimed and are not bound by the outcome of any state's vote. Although Obama cannot be caught in the race for primary delegates, neither can he win the nomination without the backing of more superdelegates.

"Our goal is going to be to try to be to bring the party together as soon as possible," Obama said as he walked through the Capitol after his visit to the House with a swarm of reporters jostling to question him. "But we still have contests remaining, and so in no way am I taking this for granted. We're going to have to keep on working."

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Unions focusing more on McCain

WASHINGTON (AP) - Organized labor is paying more attention to Republican John McCain as Democrat Barack Obama solidifies his status as the front-runner in the Democratic contest against Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The AFL-CIO, which has not endorsed anyone in the Democratic primary, announced Wednesday that it is sending more than 6,000 of its people to more than 22 states during the next two weekends to talk to more than 200,000 union voters about McCain.

"Senator McCain's economic path would lead to disaster for America's working families," said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization.

Meanwhile, the nation's largest union, the Service Employees International Union, is increasing its focus on the likely Republican presidential nominee. The union's political action committee is already running commercials critical of McCain's health care plan.

The SEIU, which endorsed Obama, has called the Illinois senator "the presumptive nominee."

"We've had a long process and the outcome is now clear," said Anna Burger, the SEIU's secretary treasurer. "The Democratic Party should come together to focus on winning in November."

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Compiled by Ann Sanner and Ronald Powers.