Sneak Peek: The Chase Continues

July 11, 2007— -- The Obama-Clinton "cat-and-mouse chase" continues in Detroit Thursday when the leading Democratic presidential hopefuls join John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, and Mike Gravel at a presidential candidates' forum sponsored by the NAACP.

The 90-minute Democratic forum, which gets underway at 10:30 am ET, is being moderated by CNN's Soledad O'Brien and CBS' Russ Mitchell.

In addition to fielding questions from the two moderators, the Democratic '08ers will answer pre-taped questions from audience members and deliver 3-minute opening statements and 2-minute closing statements.

The NAACP forum comes at a time when Obama has been stepping up his rhetorical engagement with Clinton, telling an Iowa audience Tuesday that there are "no do-overs on an issue as important as war."

Thursday's forum is not the first time that Obama and Clinton have appeared in front of the NAACP together. Back in July of 2006 when Jeff Zeleny (then of the Chicago Tribune now of the New York Times) was one of the few out there fanning the Obama '08 flames, the two Democratic senators spoke to the NAACP the day before President Bush addressed the civil-rights group and urged them to "hold the administration accountable for renewing - and enforcing - the Voting Rights Act."

"Don't be bamboozled," said Obama.

A half hour before the Democrats take the stage, the NAACP will hear from Tom Tancredo -- the lone Republican '08er who accepted the group's invitation.

As for the Republican '08ers not named Tancredo, Rudy Giuliani attends a 6:30 pm ET open press fundraiser for the Michigan Republican Party.

John McCain, who vowed Wednesday to be "back on the bus" when he spoke to reporters outside of the White House, holds a 7:35 am ET fundraiser in Delaware and spends the rest of his day in Washington, DC.

Tommy Thompson continues to barnstorm Iowa with appearances in Oelwein, Independence, Dubuque, Maquoketa and Davenport.

Following the NAACP forum, Edwards begins a three day visit to Iowa with a community meeting in Fort Dodge at 8:00 pm ET, and Dodd heads to Las Vegas for the opening of his Nevada headquarters.