ABC News’ Kate McCarthy and Nitya Venkataraman Report:

Former President Bill Clinton says he’s ready to hit the campaign trail for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama “whenever he asks”.

“I just told him that whenever he wanted to do it, I was ready,” Clinton told a room full of reporters, following a news conference at his foundation’s Manhattan headquarters about new agreements that will lower the price of malaria medication.  “It’s basically on their timetable. He’s got a lot of things to do between now and the convention of which this is simply one. So, I’ll do whatever I’m asked to do, whenever I can do it.”

And speaking of the Democratic convention in Denver, Clinton says he’s given “no thought” to whether or not he’d like to headline as one of the speakers.  The relationship between the Obama campaign and the presidential campaign of the former president’s wife New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has only recently begun to heal itself following a hotly-contested battle for the Democratic nomination that ended on June 7 when Sen. Clinton conceded the nomination to Obama.

Clinton also said he hasn’t spoken to Rev. Jesse Jackson since his “hot mic” incident but expressed sympathy for an off-air moment caught on tape and commended Jackson for his quick apology.

“If all of us lived on live mics then 100 percent of us in this room would be embarrassed from time to time.  He’s a good man and he did what he could to make it right,” Clinton said, adding “I think Senator Obama accepted his apology.  I think it’s over.”

As Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were kissing and making up last Friday, Bill Clinton might have had other ideas, according to a report in The (London) Telegraph.

The paper reports that even as the former president and the current presumptive Democratic nominee prepare to meet to make their own amends, Bill Clinton reportedly told close friends Obama can “kiss my ass” to get his support.

The paper cited an anonymous Democratic source who provided the quote. That source also said Clinton is not making the primary effort to bridge the chasm between himself and Obama.

“He’s saying he’s not going to reach out, that Obama has to come to him. One person told me that Bill said Obama would have to quote, ‘kiss my ass,’ close quote, if he wants his support.

“You can’t talk like that about Obama — he’s the nominee of your party, not some house boy you can order around.

“Hillary’s just getting on with it and so should Bill.”

Bill Clinton has more recently cooled his rhetoric toward the de facto party leader, but he has publicly expressed his anger over being painted as a racist and race-baiter while his wife was campaigning against Obama.

In April, Bill Clinton had a fiery exchange with a public radio reporter, who asked him about a controversial statement he made on South Carolina on the day the state held its primary, and whether he regretted comparing Obama’s campaign to Jesse Jackson’s campaigns.

Clinton responded: “No, I think that they played the race card on me, and we now know from memos in the campaign and everything that they planned to do it all along.

“Do I regret saying it? No. Do I regret that it was used that way? I certainly do. But you’ve really got to go some (distance) to portray me as a racist,” Clinton said, adding that he has an office in Harlem, and Jackson told him personally he was not offended.

Following Hillary Clinton’s public display of unity with Obama last week, Bill Clinton and Obama are expected to meet in the coming days.

By CHUCK BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer

Democrat John Edwards is endorsing former rival Barack Obama, fresh signs of the party establishment embracing the likely nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy.

Edwards was to appear with Obama in Grand Rapids, Mich., as Obama campaigns in a critical general election battleground state.

The endorsement comes the day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in West Virginia. The loss highlighted Obama’s work to win over the “Hillary Democrats” — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in large numbers before he exited the race.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and the 2004 vice presidential nominee, dropped out of the race in late January.

Both Obama and Clinton immediately asked Edwards for his endorsement, but he stayed mum for more than four months. A person close to Edwards, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he wanted to get involved now to begin unifying the party. Obama also signed on to Edwards’ anti-poverty initiative, which he launched Tuesday with the goal of reducing poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.

When he made his decision, Edwards didn’t even tell many of his former top advisers because he wanted to make sure that he personally talked to Clinton to give her the news, said the person close to him. Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth, who has said she thinks Clinton has the superior health care plan, did not travel with him to Michigan and is not part of the endorsement.

David “Mudcat” Saunders, a chief adviser for Edwards on rural affairs during his presidential campaign, said the timing of the endorsement couldn’t be better given Obama’s resounding loss in West Virginia on Tuesday.

“For Barack Obama, I think he ought to kiss Johnny Edwards on the lips to kill this 41-point loss,” he added. “The story is not going to be the 41-point loss. It’s going to be Edwards’ endorsement.”

Edwards waged a scrappy underdog campaign for the Democratic nomination, always outshone by the historic nature of Obama possibly being the first black nominee and Clinton the first woman. But Edwards was considered their strongest contender, even as he balanced the rigors of the campaign with the personal blow of Elizabeth’s returning breast cancer.

Edwards promoted progressive policy ideas and came in second to Obama in Iowa before coming in third in the following three contests and dropping out in New Orleans, the location a reminder of his attention to poverty.

Obama has a total of 1,887 delegates, leaving him just 139 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination. Clinton has 1,718 delegates, according to the latest tally by The Associated Press.

Edwards has 19 pledged delegates won in three states: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Most of the those delegates have already been selected, meaning they are technically free to support whomever they choose at the party’s national convention, regardless of Edwards’ endorsement.

___

Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington and Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report

Clinton and Obama Differ From McCain

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

The sharply contrasting health care visions of Republican John McCain and his Democratic presidential rivals offer the promise of a grand campaign debate — if the candidates find room on a crowded agenda.

While health care reform ranks as the second-biggest domestic issue after the economy in most national opinion polls, it will compete with the Iraq war, taxes, high gas prices and other topics for a prime-time spot in the campaign for November’s presidential election.

Nearly two decades of health care debate has made little headway toward finding a consensus approach, and the issue has not been a key factor in a presidential election since the collapse of the Hillary Clinton-led reform effort in 1994.

“There is no question there are fundamental, Grand Canyon-like differences on health care between the two parties,” said Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy group.

“But it’s an open question whether it will be a hot issue in the campaign,” he said. “I now believe the biggest obstacle to health care reform is this ideological divide — is there any way to bridge these differences?”

McCain, who has clinched the Republican presidential nomination, and Democratic Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Clinton of New York have unveiled ambitious but very different plans to overhaul the health care system.

McCain finished a week-long campaign swing in Denver on Friday that highlighted his plan, which would use tax credits to help shift from employer-based insurance coverage to an open market system where people can choose from competing policies.

Clinton and Obama seek universal health coverage for the 47 million Americans without insurance. Clinton would mandate coverage, while Obama would require it only for children.

The Democratic plans would keep the existing job-based insurance system but expand government involvement in a hybrid public-private system.

TOUGH SELL

McCain calls the Democratic plan a “big government” solution that limits choice. Democrats say his plan reduces the incentive for companies to offer coverage and puts workers at risk of not getting it — particularly those with pre-existing conditions that insurance companies will not cover.

Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan policy research organization, said the Democratic plans had more political appeal.

“I would expect to see the Democratic approach resonate more with voters. They are very clearly telling voters you are going to be eligible for a public program,” he said.

McCain’s plan to allow people to move away from job-based coverage is a tough sell, analysts said. Polls show three-quarters or more of Americans are generally happy with the insurance they get through their employers.

At least some of the political fury that doomed Clinton’s health care initiative in 1994, when she was first lady, was fueled by the reluctance of people to abandon their employer health coverage.

A 2007 survey by the Commonwealth Fund, a private nonpartisan foundation that supports health policy research, found four of every five Americans, including three-quarters of Republicans, believed employers should either provide health insurance for workers or contribute to the cost.

“People are comfortable with what they know and afraid of change,” Altman said. “The burden of proof is always on people who want to change their current health plan.”

McCain’s plan is similar to the one put forth by President George W. Bush that fell flat in Congress, where gridlock on the issue is the norm. All of the proposals would face potentially drastic changes in Congress.

‘BASIC INSECURITIES’

“I don’t think McCain’s plan goes to the heart of people’s concerns. It does not address the basic insecurities of not having coverage or not having enough money to pay your bills,” said Susan Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund.

“It may sound good. ‘You’re in charge.’ But because of the way the insurance market works, it’s difficult,” Davis said. “The whole market is geared to excluding people who are sick.”

McCain said Americans would warm to his proposals once they became familiar with them.

“I’m confident that when we debate and discuss this issue most Americans would rather have their families making decisions about their health care,” McCain told reporters last week. “The issue cannot go unaddressed.”

But Ginsburg did not sound confident health care would become a top agenda item in the next six months.

“I wonder if it’s going to be so complicated that people tune out,” he said. “We probably won’t come out of this election with a real mandate for getting it done.”

(Editing by Xavier Briand)

 AP

HAGATNA, Guam — The early count from Democratic presidential caucuses on Guam showed Barack Obama delegates ahead with 395 votes to 320 for those pledged to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

More than 3,000 votes were expected in heavy turnout at caucuses in the U.S. territory, where neither candidate campaigned.

Four pledged delegate votes were at stake on the island 8,000 miles from Washington. Guam also has five superdelegates and some of those are being determined in the caucus voting as well.

Slow ballot-by-ballot counting was under way in the territorial legislative building after votes were hand carried from some 20 caucus sites.

Long lines of voters were reported in schools, community centers and other caucus sites that were open for voting all day Saturday.

U.S. citizens in Guam have no vote in the November presidential election, but the close Clinton-Obama race is giving them an unaccustomed role in the nomination process.

Voters picked eight pledged delegates who will have only one-half vote each at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.

Presidential caucuses on Guam usually pass without much notice from the candidates.

This time, Obama and Clinton made their case for the territory’s four regular delegates with local advertising and long-distance interviews.

Lines formed early at some caucus sites.

Cynthia Estrada of Dedeo said she was making up her mind while waiting to vote, but she was leaning toward Clinton.

“She’s had the experience,” she said. “She’s got her husband to help her.”

Yona resident Tommy Shimizu said he was voting for Obama delegates.

“It’s the fact that he grew up in Hawaii, and I think he can make change,” he said. “I think it’s time for that.”

Clinton and Obama pitched improved health care and economic opportunity as they courted Guam voters from across the international date line.

Both candidates bought local advertising and conducted media interviews. In their protracted race for the nomination, no contest is being ignored.

Both Clinton and Obama say they’ve got the better health plan for Guamanians.

Obama said in an interview with Pacific Daily News that he would support reexamination of a $5.4 million Medicaid spending limit imposed on the territory. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, told KUAM radio earlier that his wife would work to remove the cap.

Hillary Clinton also has called for Guamanians to be able to vote in presidential elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Monday that either Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama will know when it’s time to drop out of the nomination race after the end of the primaries in early June.

“We want the voters to have their say. That’s over on June 3,” he said in an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Dean, saying he was speaking from experience as a candidate for president in 2004, said he won’t have to force anyone from the race.

“Either of these candidates, if it’s time for them to go, they’ll know it and they will go,” he said. “They don’t need any pushing from me. You know when to get in and you know when to get out. That’s just part of the deal.”

“This is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama,” Dean added. “This is about our country. It’s about a better course for our country. … We’ve got to move on and win the presidency.”

Obama has more delegates and popular votes than Clinton, but she also is fresh off a big-state win in Pennsylvania.

Indiana and North Carolina hold primaries on May 6.

Dean also said that while party rules say superdelegates can wait until the August convention to make up their minds, that would be too late to unify the party and defeat the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.

“We really can’t have a divided convention. If we do it’s going to be very hard to heal the party afterwards,” Dean said. “So we’ll know who the nominee is and that’ll give us an extra 2 1/2 months to get our party together, heal the wounds of having a very closely divided race and take on Senator McCain.”

In the last 24 hours we saw renewed attacks from Senator McCain and Senator Clinton.

The same John McCain who voted to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest few said I was “out of touch” when I spoke about the frustrations that working people in this country are feeling.

Maybe that’s to be expected from John McCain. But I was disappointed to hear the exact same talking points from my Democratic colleague, Hillary Clinton. When a candidate who believes lobbyists represent “real people” says that I’m out of touch, that’s when you know politics is being played.

SACRAMENTO, California – (OBSNews.com)  A startup independent online news company, www.OBSNews.com has created a YouTube.com channel (go to www.OBSNewsTV.com to be directed to the channel) to help promote their brand of independent internet media coverage.  In the grandest traditions of Silicon Valley’s garage start-ups the company was the brainchild of two internet entrepreneurs Manny Fernandez and Patrick McGilvray, J.D. 

The company was created in the Fall of 2007 to help gain media attention for McGilvray’s family’s lawsuit against a large concrete company who had dumped hundreds of tons of concrete rubble and rebar on the family’s land (see www.obsnews.com/hanson.htm).  The site soon mushroomed into a news destination.

Recently the OBSNews team covered the California Democratic Party statewide convention held in San Jose at which the supporters of presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton pled their cases for the cameras with passion.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (OBSNews) – Dave Matthews played a concert in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at Indiana’s Assembly Hall on Sunday.  This was the musician’s attempt to get university students to register to vote and to support his chosen candidate.  The deadline to register to vote is Monday.

“I wanted to come to a free concert primarily, but I also think Barack Obama has made politics cool for young people.  He’s definitely going to get my vote,” said Greg Mayers who identified himself as a young voter at a nearby school.

More than 13,000 other concertgoers agreed with Mayers and enjoyed the singing and dancing Matthews inspired.  Barack Obama’s campaign has made the youth vote a cornerstone of his efforts to secure the US presidency.  Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been lagging in the fundraising department compared to Obama and it seems that the get-out-the-vote efforts of Obama among young people are succeeding more on a grass roots level as well.

Going an extra step further Obama’s campaign has created a type of social networking for young people who want to get more intimately involved in his campaign.  For more information visit www.mybarackobama.com

By JIM KUHNHENN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama raked in $40 million in March, leaving Hillary Rodham Clinton and her $20 million in the fundraising dust and stuffing his campaign treasury so he can outspend her in the crucial Pennsylvania primary.

His haul in new donations also buttressed his argument to Democratic superdelegates that he has built a vast network of donors and volunteers that they wouldn’t want to lose by denying him the nomination.

Obama has attracted nearly 1.3 million donors, largely through the Internet.

He has raised $131 million in just the first three months of this year to $70 million for Clinton. Republican John McCain’s campaign has not revealed his March fundraising, but he has been far behind the Democrats, raising less than $23 million in January and February combined.

Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, claimed a double benefit from the Illinois senator’s fundraising. “Many of our contributors are volunteering for the campaign, making our campaign the largest grass-roots army in recent political history,” he said.

Clinton, speaking to reporters in Burbank, Calif., in the midst of her own fundraising sweep through the state, said: “We’re both raising huge amounts of money, and I am thrilled at how effective Democrats have been in raising money the last 15 or so months.

“I will have money to compete. Obviously Sen. Obama has more than enough money to compete. But this is a good news story because it means we are raising it from people committed to our candidacies.”

Indeed, the numbers, even for the lagging Clinton, are remarkable. While both raised less than they did in February, the March contributions came during a lull in the presidential contest. There have not been any primaries or contests since March 11, and the most competitive showdowns were March 4 in Texas and Ohio.

Obama’s money has given him a significant spending edge over Clinton in Pennsylvania, where the April 22 primary is the biggest delegate prize left on the Democratic calendar. He has purchased more than $2.7 million in television ads in the state, according to data compiled by TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, which tracks political ads. Clinton has spent almost $900,000 on ads in the state.

His money also has allowed Obama to look over the horizon to May contests in Indiana and North Carolina. He has already spent about $230,000 on ads in each state.

Clinton began airing her first North Carolina ad on Thursday, a 60-second spot that urges viewers to submit questions to her campaign. “Just go to NCAskMe.com, and then I’ll be getting back to you here on TV to answer your questions and offer some solutions,” Clinton says in the ad.

Obama’s financial edge allows him to spend on what many politicians would consider strategic luxuries. He’s even running Spanish language ads in Pennsylvania — not a state with a large Hispanic population.

“If that’s not an embarrassment of riches,” observed Evan Tracey, the chief operating officer at TNS Media.

Obama outspent the New York senator heading into the March 4 contests in Texas and Ohio. Clinton still won the primaries in both states, though Obama took more delegates in Texas by winning a concurrent caucus there.

Obama’s money also provides a separate story line focused on his powerful network of donors. With neither candidate able to win the nomination on the basis of delegates selected by state primaries and caucuses, the burden falls on party officials and elected officials — the so-called superdelegates — who are weighing a variety of factors in making their selection.

“His ability to raise more money than Hillary Clinton is part of the handicapping that is going on by superdelegates,” said Steve Murphy, a Democratic consultant who worked on Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign but who is now unaligned.

Stephanie Cutter, a Democratic strategist who worked on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, noted that while 1.3 million donors is only a fraction of the total number of people who have voted in the presidential contests so far, “it still represents a ground force unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”

“It’s hard to argue that he’s not a representing a — quote — new kind of politics — end quote — with 1.3 million donors,” she added.

Obama’s flush finances could work against him, however, if his heavy spending doesn’t yield results. A sizable Clinton victory in Pennsylvania could raise questions about Obama’s viability.

Clinton’s ad in North Carolina suggests she is not afraid of spending money either and could force Obama to ratchet up his advertising in that state.

Some unaligned Democrats remain wary of the entire situation, afraid that the quantities of money and continuing competition will hurt the eventual party nominee as McCain builds up his support with little opposition.

“Obama and Clinton’s fundraising numbers are impressive,” Donna Brazile, Al Gore’s campaign manager in 2000, said in an e-mail exchange. “There’s no question that voters remain excited about the two candidates, but if this money is used to tear the party apart or to destruct the other while McCain is out on a bio tour, it would be akin to pouring it down the drain.”