Michigan Ends Revote Bid

"I'm fishing for a few votes around here," Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) says at Murads' Sports Bar in Charleston, W.Va. (By Alex Brandon -- Associated Press)

It was the second straight day that Obama and McCain trained their sights on each other, but Obama's presence here was a nod to the fierce contest still raging for the right to face McCain in November. West Virginia Democrats will not go to the polls until May 13, and with its mix of union miners and rural white voters, the state is supposed to be Clinton country. In his introduction at the university, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) made the case for Obama, not so much for the university crowd in the audience but for the wider state electorate.

"Barack Obama is not canned," Rockefeller said. "He's not glossy. He's grounded, and he's authentic." Rockefeller also mentioned Obama's "profound faith in a Christian God."

With a backdrop of uniformed military personnel and aging veterans, Obama spoke less of his plan to end the war than the toll the war has already taken.

"At a time when we're on the brink of recession -- when neighborhoods have 'For Sale' signs outside every home, and working families are struggling to keep up with rising costs -- ordinary Americans are paying a price for this war," he said. "When you're spending over $50 to fill up your car because the price of oil is four times what it was before Iraq, you're paying a price for this war. When Iraq is costing each household about $100 a month, you're paying a price for this war."

Clinton, campaigning across Indiana yesterday, made the economy her focus even as the political news out of Michigan did not appear to be going her way. She drew large, enthusiastic crowds in Terre Haute and in Anderson, a working-class city outside Indianapolis that has suffered severe job losses in the manufacturing sector in recent years.

She proposed what she called a "second stimulus package" that would provide $30 billion over two years to states and localities grappling with the housing foreclosure crisis. Clinton drew on her husband's popularity among state Democrats. Traveling alongside Sen. Evan Bayh, a former governor, she promised to revisit trade agreements and help renew job growth.

Meanwhile, in reports filed with the Federal Election Commission last night, the candidates stated how much money they had on hand as they headed into March.

McCain reported that he raised $11 million in February and had about $700,000 in cash to spend. A McCain spokesman said that the campaign paid off $4 million in loans this week. Obama had $38.8 million on hand after having raised $56.8 million in February. Clinton finished the month with $33 million in cash on hand after raising $34.6 million.

Staff Writer Matthew Mosk contributed to this report.