Candidates crisscross the country

Later, speaking to reporters en route to Tucson, Clinton compared Obama to Bush, saying he lacked specificity. "We cannot afford to elect someone as we did with George Bush and then be somewhat surprised by the decisions that are made and the direction he leads the country," Clinton said. "The best way to avoid that is to have a candidate who tells you what she will do and is then held accountable."

For his part, the Illinois senator ventured into deeply Republican Idaho, which hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964. "They told me there weren't any Democrats in Idaho," Obama thundered to the crowded bleachers, balconies and arena floor at Boise State University. "That's what they told me. But I didn't believe them."

Obama pushed a message of hope and change, saying: "This is the most consequential election in a generation. There's such a thing as being too late, and that moment is almost upon us. . . . Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril, and the dream that so many generations fought for feels like it's slowly slipping away."

In a nod toward conservatives, he made a pledge to gun owners: "There are people who say, 'Well, he doesn't believe in the 2nd Amendment.' . . . I have no intention of taking away folks' guns."

The endorsement of Los Angeles-based La Opinion could boost Obama, who has struggled to overcome Clinton's support among Latinos. "Barack Obama has the sensibilities of a man from humble beginnings raised in a multicultural home," the newspaper said. "He is the best option for a truly visionary change."

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Reporting by Times staff writers Maria L. La Ganga with Obama, Seema Mehta with Romney, Peter Nicholas with Clinton and Maeve Reston with McCain. Staff writers Mark Z. Barabak and Michael Finnegan and the Associated Press also contributed to this report.