Muslim Supporters Told to Move at Event

OBAMA TEAM APOLOGIZES

Muslim Supporters Told to Move at Event

Barack Obama's campaign apologized Wednesday after a report that campaign volunteers in Detroit had shooed two Muslim women wearing head scarves out of camera range at a rally earlier this week.

According to the Web site Politico, the women were told they could not sit behind the podium where Obama was speaking, to prevent them from appearing in photographs and television footage with the candidate. Obama has battled false allegations that he is a Muslim, and the two women, both Obama supporters, told Politico they were deeply disillusioned by the incident.

Campaign spokesman Bill Burton issued an apologetic statement. "This is of course not the policy of the campaign," he said. "It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run. We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers."

Burton also circulated several photographs that prominently feature women in head scarves at previous Obama rallies.

-- Shailagh Murray

HITTING OBAMA ON TERROR

McCain Enlists Former Rival Giuliani

John McCain brought out "America's mayor" on Wednesday in an effort to continue bashing Barack Obama as soft on terrorism.

In a conference call with reporters, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani reiterated the McCain campaign's claim that Obama has a "September 10" mentality and said he was puzzled by what he said was the Democrat's "softer" approach to terrorism.

"He seems to think [terrorism] is adequately dealt with merely by being a criminal prosecution," said Giuliani, himself a famous prosecutor. "On every issue, he takes a softer approach."