SNEAK PEEK: 'Just a little bit south of North Carolina...'

Edwards attacked Sen. Clinton for her recent absence in the Palmetto State

KAREN TRAVERS and TALAL AL-KHATIB

April 14, 2009, 6:12 AM ET

7 min read

January 23, 2008— -- 3 days until the South Carolina primary (Democrats)

6 days until the Florida primary

South Carolina-born John Edwards took Hillary Clinton to task today for not spending enough time in the Palmetto State in the lead up to Saturday's primary there and maybe Team Clinton took notice.

Per ABC News' Raelyn Johnson, Edwards said that he is the most electable in South Carolina because he best understands residents because he grew up in that part of the country.

"Right after the debate she flew out and she's been gone and she won't be back until I don't know -- later in the week or until primary day. And the question is: if she's not going to spend time here the week before the South Carolina primary, what do you think the chances are she's coming back after the primary? And what are the chances she's coming back when she's president of the United States?"

"It's one thing to fly into South Carolina from some place else, give a speech, go to a debate and then fly back out," said Edwards speaking to voters in the town of Bennettsville

As of now, that is what Clinton will do tomorrow when she travels to Greenville to deliver what the campaign is billing as a major speech on the economy at Furman University.

It's a quick trip – Clinton will head back to New York City for high and low dollar fundraisers Thursday night. But not to worry, South Carolinians, you will not go Clinton-less. You may even have the Clinton that is making all the news these days.

ABC News' Sarah Amos reports that for the second time in a week, Bill Clinton scolded a reporter after a campaign event. The former president was answering questions about the back-and-forth between himself and Barack Obama and allegations that Clinton is playing the race card in South Carolina.

"Are you saying the Obama camp is bringing up these racial issues?," asked CNN reporter Jessica Yellin.

"You want another story. I'm not gonna get in a fight with him, I'm just gonna answer what the facts are. … There are indisputable facts. You wanna make this about words and name calling. I hate it," Clinton said in Charleston, per ABC News' Amos.

On the other side of the race, the Republican field is focused like a laser on Florida and the 57 delegates the Sunshine State's Tuesday primary holds.

Thursday night the field gathers at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for a 9:00 pm ET debate moderated by NBC's Brain Williams and Tim Russert.

The stage will be less crowded Thursday night with Fred Thompson dropping out of the race on Tuesday.

Who will this help at the debate? Who will it hurt?

Mitt Romney thinks that Thompson's departure helps him in the big picture, per ABC News' Matt Stuart.

Romney told reporters in Tampa today that "in some respects his departure from the campaign I think inures to my benefit" because both speak to "social…economic…and foreign policy or national defense conservatives."

Duncan Hunter gets his name back in the news by throwing his support to Mike Huckabee. Hunter, who withdrew from the Republican race last weekend, said that the former Arkansas governor is a man of "outstanding character and integrity."

"Of the remaining candidates I feel that he is strongly committed to strengthening national defense, constructing the border fence and meeting the challenge of China's emergence as a military superpower that is taking large portions of America's industrial base," Hunter said in a statement Tuesday.

On the campaign trail…

JOHN MCCAIN

-- 11:15 am ET: Attends town hall meeting with voters, West Palm Beach, FL

-- 12:30 pm ET: Holds media availability, West Palm Beach, FL

-- 7:30 pm ET: Attends events with voters, Deerfield Beach, FL