IN THE HEADLINES

Obama assails McCain for 'naive, irresponsible' foreign policy, lays down challenge ... McCain courts NRA, 2nd Amendment devotees, makes a West Virginia gun shop visit ... Clinton launches ads in upcoming primary states, focuses on working-class issues in Oregon ... Democratic Party panel members show little interest in Clinton's call to seat disputed delegates ... Obama picks up endorsements from former Edwards delegate, California congressman.

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Obama criticizes McCain for 'naive' foreign policy

WATERTOWN, S.D. (AP) _ Barack Obama laid into John McCain on Friday for advancing a tough-guy foreign policy that he called "naive and irresponsible," serving notice that he's ready to launch a full-throttle challenge to the Republican presidential contender on international relations in the general election campaign.

Lumping McCain together with President Bush, Obama declared: "If they want a debate about protecting the United States of America, that's a debate I'm ready to win because George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for." He blamed Bush for policies that enhance the strength of terrorist groups such as Hamas and "the fact that al-Qaida's leadership is stronger than ever because we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan," among other failings.

McCain agreed, at least, that there were huge differences between himself and Obama on foreign policy, and said he'd be happy to let the American people decide who was right.

"It would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don't have enemies. But that's not the world we live in. And until Senator Obama understands that reality, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe," McCain said in a speech to the National Rifle Association in Louisville, Ky.

McCain rejected the "naive" comment, saying Obama should have known better.

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McCain courts NRA, makes gun shop visit

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ Courting his sometime critics within the gun lobby, John McCain told the National Rifle Association on Friday that Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton would both undermine the rights of gun owners.

"If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk, my friends _ and have no doubt about it," the Republican nominee-in-waiting told a crowd of several thousand.

McCain acknowledged he has been no darling of gun-rights advocates, having pushed through signature campaign finance legislation gun supporters say has muzzled free speech. The Arizona senator has also favored tighter restrictions for buying guns at gun shows.

"Those disagreements do not detract from my long record of support for the Second Amendment and the work we have done together to protect the rights of gun owners ... ," he said.

Nonetheless, McCain said he expected the votes of gun owners in his general election campaign against either Obama or Clinton, the remaining Democratic presidential contenders.

Earlier, after visiting a gun store in St. Albans, W. Va., McCain said the only gun controls he favors are limits to keep guns from people with criminal backgrounds or indications of mental problems.

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Clinton unveils new ads in Oregon, Kentucky

JUNCTION CITY, Ore. (AP) _ Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton unveiled three new ads Friday in the upcoming primary states of Oregon and Kentucky, including one that pokes fun at Washington pundits fixated on the presidential horse race.

Shrugging off rival Barack Obama's formidable delegate lead, Clinton coupled the release of the ads with campaign appearances in several Oregon cities. Just outside Eugene, Ore., the New York senator chatted with a retired couple and several other local residents at a dining room table about the financial impact of rising fuel costs and food prices.

During her appearance, Clinton criticized President Bush for what she said was inaction during his trip to the Middle East this week.

"I think it's very important that we do something more dramatic than going to have tea with the Saudis," she said.

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Florida, Michigan cannot save Clinton

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Michigan and Florida alone can't save Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign.

Interviews with those considering how to handle the two states' banished convention delegates found little interest in the former first lady's best-case scenario. Her position, part of a formidable comeback challenge, is that all the delegates be seated in accordance with their disputed primaries.

Even if they were, it wouldn't erase Barack Obama's growing lead in delegates.

The Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee, a 30-member panel charged with interpreting and enforcing party rules, is to meet May 31 to consider how to handle Michigan and Florida's 368 delegates.

Last year, the panel imposed the harshest punishment it could render against the two states after they scheduled primaries in January, even though they were instructed not to vote until Feb. 5 or later. Michigan and Florida lost all their delegates to the national convention.

The Associated Press interviewed a third of the panel members and several other Democrats involved in the negotiations and found widespread agreement that the states must be punished for stepping out of line. If not, many members say, other states will do the same thing in four years.

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Obama picks up six delegates

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Barack Obama picked up endorsements Friday from a California congressman and two former John Edwards delegates from South Carolina as he closes in on the Democratic presidential nomination. He also added three delegates from updated results in last week's North Carolina primary.

Obama has added nine of the 19 delegates Edwards won before he dropped out of the race.

"He's inspired millions of young people to register to vote and join the ranks of our Democratic Party, he's consistently opposed the war, he advocates universal health care, and he delivers a message that transcends party politics at the same time," Rep. Pete Stark of California said in a statement announcing his support for Obama.

The North Carolina Board of Elections has been reporting incomplete congressional district results on its Web site for more than a week. But with those delegates to be selected this weekend, the board provided more updated results to the state Democratic party.

The Associated Press had withheld two North Carolina delegates because of the incomplete results. Hillary Rodham Clinton lost a delegate based on the updated results, but she picked up a California superdelegate who made his choice public Friday after privately endorsing Clinton months ago.

Keith Umemoto of Sacramento told the AP Friday that he has endorsed Clinton.

Meanwhile, California Sen. Barbara Boxer has long held plans to cast her vote for Clinton as a superdelegate, Boxer's spokeswoman, Natalie Ravitz, said Friday.

Boxer has not endorsed either candidate in the Democratic contest but has said for months that she intended to follow the will of California voters, who favored Clinton over Obama during the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary.

"What is of paramount importance to Senator Boxer is that Democrats be united around a candidate at the convention," Ravitz told The Associated Press. "She truly believes that this will all be resolved and that we will be unified at the convention."

That gave Clinton a net increase of one delegate for the day.

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THE DELEGATE BREAKDOWN

Barack Obama: 1,904

Hillary Rodham Clinton: 1,719

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DAILY TRACK

Barack Obama holds a 4-point lead nationally over Hillary Rodham Clinton, 48 percent to 44 percent, in the Democratic presidential race, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.

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THE DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns in Oregon. Barack Obama meets with voters in South Dakota.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain stopped in West Virginia before addressing the National Rifle Association's meeting in Kentucky.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"I'm not touching that one." _ John Edwards, former Democratic presidential contender, when asked on CBS' "The Early Show" whether he left the race too early.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

About 45 percent of the statewide Democratic primary vote in Oregon's recent elections has come from the Portland area.

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Compiled by Ann Sanner.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.