IN THE HEADLINES

Christian leaders, key to President Bush in 2004, might turn away from McCain in 2008 ... Obama, McCain say they disagree with Supreme Court decision outlawing death penalty for child rapists

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Faithful might not be voters in November

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ If Christian conservatives stay on the sidelines during the fall campaign, presidential hopeful John McCain probably stays in the Senate.

Christian conservatives provided much of the on-the-ground, door-to-door activity for President Bush's 2004 re-election in Ohio and in other swing states. Without them, the less-organized and lower-profile McCain campaign is likely to struggle to replicate Bush's success. And so far, there's been scant sign that the Republican nominee-in-waiting is making inroads among these fervent believers.

"I don't know that McCain's campaign realizes they cannot win without evangelicals," said David Domke, a professor of communication at the University of Washington who studies religion and politics. "What you see with McCain is just a real struggle to find his footing with evangelicals."

Family groups in Ohio outlined their doubts about the Arizona senator in a meeting with McCain's advisers last weekend. They're concerned about his record on abortion rights and on campaign finance laws that they believe limited their ability to criticize candidates who are pro-choice on abortion.

"There's certainly a little reservation about Mr. McCain. I think the VP choice is going to be important," said Chris Long, president of the Ohio Christian Alliance. "If they choose a conservative for the VP, that will help his campaign. It would go a long way of sending a positive message to evangelicals."

Marlys Popma, McCain's director of evangelical outreach, was one of two aides who met with the forum and reminded them of McCain's record supporting school choice while opposing abortion rights and Internet pornography. She said the campaign understands the interest in the vice presidential nominee, but she noted that McCain "is the one who is going to be nominating judges. He's going to be the one who is signing or not signing bills."

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Obama, McCain disagree with court on rape case

CHICAGO (AP) _ Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain say they disagree with the Supreme Court's decision outlawing executions of people who rape children, a crime he said states have the right to consider for capital punishment.

"I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes," Obama said Wednesday at a news conference. "I think that the rape of a small child, 6 or 8 years old, is a heinous crime and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable, that that does not violate our Constitution."

The court's 5-4 decision Wednesday struck down a Louisiana law that allows capital punishment for people convicted of raping children under 12, saying it violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The ruling spares the only people in the U.S. under sentence of death for that crime _ two Louisiana men convicted of raping girls 5 and 8. It also invalidates laws on the books in five other states that allowed executions for child rape that does not result in the death of the victim.

McCain, also criticized the court's decision, calling it "an assault on law enforcement's efforts to punish these heinous felons for the most despicable crime."

"That there is a judge anywhere in America who does not believe that the rape of a child represents the most heinous of crimes, which is deserving of the most serious of punishments, is profoundly disturbing," McCain said in a statement.

Obama, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, said that had the court "said we want to constrain the abilities of states to do this to make sure that it's done in a careful and appropriate way, that would have been one thing. But it basically had a blanket prohibition and I disagree with that decision."

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Bush raises GOP cash in Michigan

LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) _ Campaigning for fellow Republican John McCain in a crucial swing state, President Bush accused Democrats of "running on empty" on energy policy, "acting like teenagers with a new credit card" on federal spending and heeding warnings from anti-war activists more than those from Osama bin Laden.

Bush never mentioned the name of McCain's opponent in the November race to succeed him. But his criticism of Democratic leadership clearly was meant to include Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

The speech Wednesday, before a group of about 300 supporters raising money for the state Republican Party, came as Bush is significantly stepping up his efforts _ both public and private _ on McCain's behalf.

Though the two hardly appear together, Bush has pledged his full support to help get his former foe elected. McCain unsuccessfully ran against Bush in a bitter race for the Republican nomination in 2000. They eventually made up and McCain backed Bush the rest of that year and again in his 2004 re-election bid.

Most of Bush's appearances so far this year for McCain have come at GOP fundraisers that are closed to the media. But that is starting to change.

In Wednesday's speech, like one in the Washington Convention Center last week, Bush mentioned McCain on every topic he raised, such as taxes, spending, energy, judges, Iraq and the war on terror.

But he also cranked his standard political stump speech up a few notches, adding several sharp punch lines aimed at Democrats.

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THE DEMOCRATS

Barack Obama discusses the economy in Pittsburgh before joining Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington to meet with donors.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain meets with voters in Cincinnati.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"Democratic leaders should pay more attention to the warnings of terrorists like Osama bin Laden and spend less time heeding the demands of MoveOn.Org and Code Pink." _ President Bush.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

Only 6 percent of those who say they will vote for Democrat Barack Obama say Republican McCain would do a better job on Iraq, according to a recent AP-Yahoo News survey.

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Compiled by Ann Sanner and Jerry Estill.