NPR 2008-03-04

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell.

 Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are campaigning today ahead of tomorrow's primaries in Ohio and Texas. Amanda Rabinowitz with member station WKSU has more on the Clinton campaign in Ohio. 

 During a stop in Akron Sunday, Hillary Clinton touched on everything from restructuring NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement) to providing universal health care. Clinton told the more than 2,000 cheering supporters in a high school gym that she will carry out her campaign promises. "Ohio's heard a lot of speeches. You've seen a lot of people running for offices especially for president who come every four years and say 'Oh, here is what I'm gonna do.' And then somehow, it never happens. You know, I've laid out very specific plans for what I will do because I want you to hold me accountable." Clinton also focused on her plans to bring manufacturing jobs back to Ohio by ending outsourcing and investing in clean energy. For NPR News, I'm Amanda Rabinowitz in Kent, Ohio.

 Obama is hoping to keep his winning streak 1 going. He's come out ahead of Clinton in the last eleven contests. While campaigning in Ohio yesterday, Obama defended his foreign policy credentials 2 while pointing to Clinton's vote to authorize 3 going to war against Iraq. "When it came to making the most important foreign policy decision of our generation, the decision to invade Iraq, Senator Clinton got it wrong." Obama heads to Texas today where the biggest prize is up for grabs. The race is tight there as well as in Ohio. Contests also are being held in Rhode Island and Vermont.

 Despite an Israeli offensive over the weekend claiming the lives of more than a hundred Palestinians in the Gaza strip, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going ahead today with a previously 4 planned trip to the region. Her aim is to revive peace talks that the Palestinians suspended yesterday. More from NPR's David Welna.

 Secretary Rice's trip to the Middle East comes right after some of the most deadly attacks by Israelis on Palestinians in the past decade. Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip intensified 5 after Hamas militants 6 there fired rockets into southern Israel last week. The peace talks were put on hold yesterday by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas whose government called the Israeli offensive both a "holocaust 7 and genocide". Slovenia, the current European Union president said Israel's attacks violated international law while United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon chided Israel for what he called "an excessive use of force". White House spokesman Gorden Johndroe meanwhile said the violence there needs to stop and the talks need to resume. President Bush wants those talks to result in Palestinian statehood before he leaves office. David Welna, NPR News Washington.

 Asian financial markets took a beating today. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei Average fell 4.5 percent.

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 Western election observers have criticized yesterday's presidential vote in Russia. Vladimir Putin's chosen successor won a major landslide 8 in a ballot 9 opposition 10 leaders say was rigged. NPR's Gregory Feifer has report from Moscow.

 Europe's main election monitoring group boycotted 11 the election saying the authority's severe restrictions 12 wouldn't have allowed it to properly observe the ballot. But a tiny 22-member group from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe did observe the election across this vast country which spans eleven time zones. The group's head Andreas Gross said democracy had been discredited 13 in Russia. "The results of the presidential elections are a reflection of the will, of an electorate 14 whose democratic potential was unfortunately not tapped." But speaking during a contentious 15 news conference, Gross declined to comment on many specific reports of electoral violations 16, saying the vote had given President Dmitry Medvedev a broad mandate 17. Gregory Feifer, NPR News, Moscow.

 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered tanks and thousands of troops to the border with Colombia. The Venezuelan leader has accused Colombia of pushing South America to the brink 18 of war by killing 19 a top rebel leader in a cross-border raid into Ecuador. Chavez says that Venezuela will respond militarily if Colombia violates its border. He also ordered that the Venezuelan embassy in Bogotá be closed. In Texas where President Bush's staying in his ranch 20, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe reacted to the action by saying that Chaves's actions are perplexing.

 I'm Carl kasell, NPR News, in Washington.