Clinton Battles On, McCain and Obama Battle Each Other

Both candidates ignore Clinton as Democratic primary nears its official end.

ByABC News via logo
May 28, 2008, 8:17 AM

May 28, 2008 — -- The general election bout has begun with Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain sparring with each other, ignoring Hillary Clinton's efforts to stay in the ring with them.

The clearest indication that the election is moving into a new phase this week is that Obama and McCain are both campaigning in key November swing states, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado.

They are also attacking each other, while Clinton doesn't even rate a mention.

Obama noted Tuesday night that McCain held a fundraiser with President Bush. The press was not permitted to film McCain with the unpopular president, a man Republicans describe as so toxic you'd expect to see McCain in a Hazmat suit for their one photo op at the airport.

"No cameras. No reporters. And we all know why," Obama said of the fundraiser, going on to depict Bush almost as if he were McCain's running mate. "Sen. McCain doesn't want to be seen, hat in hand, with the president whose failed policies he promises to continue for another four years."

And McCain is keeping up his theme that Obama is inexperienced and naive when it comes to foreign policy.

"Many believe all we need to do to end the nuclear programs of hostile governments is have our president sit down with leaders in Pyongyang [North Korea] and Tehran [Iran], as if we haven't tried talking to these governments repeatedly over the past few decades," McCain said.

While Obama and McCain circle each other and throw their first tentative jabs, Clinton is still stumping in the final three Democratic primaries and arguing that she would be a stronger candidate against McCain.

"Based on every analysis of every bit of research, and every poll that's been taken and every state that a Democrat has to win, I am the stronger candidate against John McCain in the fall," she argued Tuesday night in Billings, Mont.

Clinton backer James Carville told "Good Morning America" today that he agreed that Clinton has the stats to indicate she has better poll numbers in running against McCain than Obama does in key states.