Clinton, Obama campaigns trade jabs

CHICAGO — Strategists for the campaigns of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton exchanged calculated barbs Sunday over accountability and ethics and who is engaging in personal attacks.

Obama communications director Robert Gibbs called on Clinton to release full post-White House tax returns; disclose all congressional "earmarks," or pet projects she had inserted into spending bills; and release all documents on the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Library, including a list of donors.

"What is lurking in those documents?" Gibbs asked as the two campaigns had dueling phone conference calls with reporters. "There are gaps that need to be filled," said senior Obama strategist David Axelrod.

"This is a tried-and-true technique of the Obama campaign that has repeatedly shifted negative when they find the momentum working against them," said senior Clinton strategist Mark Penn. He suggested the Obama campaign was trying to "deflect public opinion from its losses in Ohio and Texas" while faced with Clinton strength in Pennsylvania.

Obama was heading for Pennsylvania today to campaign, with stops later in the week likely in North Carolina and Oregon. Clinton prepared to give a speech on the Iraq war today in Washington.

Florida Dems to rule on mail-in vote

WASHINGTON — Florida Democrats today likely will put an end to the idea of a mail-in presidential primary as party leaders struggle to find a fair way to seat delegates at the August convention.

The campaigns of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama stuck to their positions on the issue Sunday.

The Clinton camp continued to push for another traditional statewide primary vote, or counting the results of Florida's unsanctioned Jan. 29 vote. And Obama aides said they are willing to hear ideas for a solution but not if it's honoring the Jan. 29 vote.

Democrats have been grappling with what to do about Florida and Michigan, which have been stripped of delegates to the August nominating convention because they held their votes too early. The stakes have since been raised because the candidates are locked in a neck-and-neck race for the required 2025 delegates needed for the nomination.

While Florida's Democrats struggle for a solution, Michigan is making plans for a statewide revote.

But Republicans who control Florida's statehouse have opposed that idea for their state. Florida Democratic Party Chairman Karen Thurman said last week that the only revote option left is a primarily mail-in ballot that the party would hire private companies to oversee.

She asked the campaigns and other Democrats to respond to her mail-in proposal and said she'll decide by today.

Seattle Times news services