"You can count on me to protect the rights of the unborn in this country, " McCain told voters in Birmingham. In Atlanta, he vowed to appoint judges who are "clones" of conservative Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Meantime, Huckabee took a thinly veiled swipe at Romney. "You really would like to get a president to agree with himself on some issues," he said in Alabama, alluding to Romney's conservative tilt since he began running for president.
The former Arkansas governor also took a rare shot at McCain, questioning the senator's record on federal spending and his ability to bring change to Washington. "It doesn't make sense that someone would be sent to the White House who has a Washington address," Huckabee said.
On the Democratic side, Clinton devoted much of her day to kitchen-table issues.
The New York senator began with a 45-minute stop at the Inglewood home of Diane and Tony Wafford, where she spoke to a group of eight and fielded questions about the Iraq war, AIDS prevention and the mortgage crisis. Clinton made no direct mention of Obama, instead bringing up McCain and his open-ended commitment to keeping U.S. troops in Iraq.
"I am not going to take a back seat to anybody when it comes to national security and defending our country, but we have got to withdraw from Iraq," Clinton said. "And I intend to do that starting within 60 days."
Tony Wafford, who is African American, brought up the issue of race, offering a rationale for why African Americans should back Clinton instead of Obama, who is trying to become the nation's first black president.
"I celebrate the fact that we have a brother that's running," said Wafford, an AIDS prevention activist. "Black people have always been able to be articulate and look good. You're talking to one." Clinton laughed and Wafford continued, "But that doesn't make me qualified to be president of the United States."
From Inglewood, Clinton traveled to a raucous rally before thousands of supporters at Cal State L.A. where she jabbed at Obama over healthcare, telling the audience: "I do not believe we should nominate any Democrat who will not stand here proudly today and commit to universal healthcare." Obama has said the two share that goal.
