Today on the presidential campaign trail

IN THE HEADLINES

With Obama his clear opponent, McCain deploying staff, expanding advertising for fall campaign ... Democrats will use key bills in Congress to highlight change promised by Obama ... Abiding by Obama rules, party returns some lobbyist and PAC money ...

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McCain deploying staff, expanding advertising

WASHINGTON (AP) - With his Democratic foe now certain, Republican John McCain is deploying dozens of staffers into battleground states, boasting of improved fundraising and expanding his advertising into some of the most competitive terrain of the general election.

"I'm running for president to keep the country I love safe," the Arizona senator says in a new commercial unveiled Friday. The ad was the start of what the campaign said would be a sustained effort to spread McCain's message in Electoral College targets between now and the fall.

As Barack Obama sewed up the Democratic nomination this week, McCain's team plunged into the general election. The Republican made his opening argument for the next phase of the presidential campaign in a speech Tuesday in which he tried to distance himself from the unpopular President Bush while arguing the Obama offers change that would imperil the country.

At the same time, the campaign made several moves over the past few days as it gears up to face Obama and enthusiastic Democrats in a treacherous political environment for Republicans.

Organizationally, McCain's 10 regional campaign managers were in place across the country - and building up their staffs - as of Sunday and the Republican National Committee named nine field directors a day later. By the end of the month, the McCain-RNC political operation plans to be running in 17 states, with 76 "Victory Centers," 94 regional and state campaign staffers and 145 RNC staffers.

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Dems to push Obama's goals with bills in Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) - Between now and Election Day, Democrats say they will use Congress to showcase the kinds of change promised by their presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

Some legislation they'll choose has good prospects of passage - policy blueprints for higher education and the military; a ban on lead in toys - and skip over debates on spending plans and some taxes until a new president takes office.

Other bills they'll debate are doomed. But on those, the point isn't passage this year. It's about making the case that the Democrats' plan for children's health care, for example, won't become law without one of their own in the White House.

Whatever legislation Democrats offer, it will have been vetted for the benefit of the Obama campaign as is traditional between the congressional majority and its presidential candidate.

"Now that the primaries have come to a close, we relish the opportunity to compare agendas," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Democrats' chief fundraiser. "It's going to sharpen the focus in the Congress and the Senate. It's going to sharpen the focus in the presidential race."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, too, indicated that the House agenda would be synchronized with Obama's in the run-up to drafting a party platform.

She told reporters this week that the document would reflect the Democrats' focus on heath care, global warming, national security and the economy.

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Democratic Party returns lobbyist, PAC money

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Democratic National Committee, now operating under Barack Obama's fundraising rules, on Friday returned about $100,000 in money from lobbyists and political action committees.

The donations were already "in the pipeline" when Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, instituted the standards for the committee, a party official said.

Obama imposed the rules to avoid a conflict with his own ban on money from federal lobbyists and PACs. On Thursday he sent one of his top strategists to the DNC to help with its general election operation.

Republican John McCain does accept money from lobbyists and PACs as does the Republican National Committee and other party committees. Obama's ban does not apply to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee nor to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Obama does accept money from lobbyists who do not do business with the federal government and he also accepts money from spouses and family members of lobbyists. And the DNC ban is also not retroactive, which means the DNC will keep lobbyist and PAC contributions it received earlier in the election cycle.

According to its latest report with the Federal Election Commission, the DNC had raised $2 million from PACs in the past 16 months. And according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, the DNC raised a mere $53,360 from executives or associates in lobbying firms so far this election cycle. That total, however, includes employees of lobbying firms who are not registered lobbyists.

The DNC has lagged behind the RNC in fundraising. On Thursday, the McCain campaign announced it had raised $21.5 million in May and the RNC said it had collected nearly $24 million.

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THE DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton ends her presidential campaign at an event in Washington. Barack Obama is in Chicago and has no publicly scheduled events.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain has no publicly scheduled events.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"It's a historical time for black people. We cannot ignore what's going on." - The Rev. Jeffrey Bryan, a Newark, N.J., preacher and Barack Obama supporter.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

Days since Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her candidacy: 504, as of Saturday

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Compiled by Ann Sanner and Ronald Powers.