For Obama, the General Election Is Calling

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for pictures after speaking at a campaign stop at Westside High School in Clear Fork, W.Va. (By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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The campaign is targeting its spots carefully. Obama will campaign Wednesday in Grand Rapids and Macomb County, a slice of suburban Detroit known a quarter-century ago as a stronghold of Reagan Democrats.

"It demonstrates the idea that we're going to be competitive everywhere and we're going to look for votes in places where Democrats don't always do so well," said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Also waiting for Obama in Michigan is the delegate dispute. On Jan. 15, with Obama's name not on the ballot, Clinton won 58 percent of the vote, while "Uncommitted" finished second. Although the national party said the result would not count, Clinton is seeking 58 percent of the delegates.

The Obama campaign has publicly supported a proposal by Michigan's Democratic executive committee to allocate 54 percent of Michigan's Democratic delegates to Clinton and 46 percent to Obama.

"This proposal doesn't honor the 600,000 people that voted in the January primary," Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Monday. "Their voices should be heard."

Obama called the compromise proposal "a legitimate approach."

"My bottom line is, I want to get the Michigan delegation seated," he said. "I want to get the Florida delegation seated, and I want them to be participating in the convention. I want to win those states in November."