The Trail

A 2009 VACATION?

McCain Hints Ridge Would Stay Backstage

ERIE, Pa. -- Sen. John McCain began a two-day Pennsylvania swing Monday, accompanied by Tom Ridge, but there were conflicting signs about how serious a vice presidential contender the former governor and onetime homeland security secretary might be.

Some reporters initially received a copy of the day's schedule with a cryptic notation about Ridge and the No. 2 spot. The schedules were quickly retrieved, with the explanation that the note was just a reminder to McCain and his staff that reporters were likely to ask about the topic.

Later in the morning, the candidate himself talked about Ridge -- but not exactly in terms that gave the impression that the Pennsylvanian would be right down the hall in a McCain administration.

Asked by a questioner at an event at GE Transportation's Erie plant what McCain would focus on during his first 90 days as president, he said he'd "call Tom Ridge to Washington from wherever he's vacationing" and put him to work.

McCain's plant tour allowed him to touch on twin themes of energy and globalization. GE chairman and chief executive Jeff Immelt, who introduced McCain, said about half of the more energy-efficient locomotives built at the plant would be exported.

As the McCain campaign headed to Harrisburg, the plane departed from Tom Ridge Field.

-- Robert Barnes

WAR AND PEACEFUL

Obama Talks Georgia On Hawaii Vacation

Barack Obama interrupted a family vacation Monday to address the exploding conflict between Russia and Georgia , saying he had spoken to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to convey "my deep regret over the loss of life and the suffering of the people of Georgia." Like John McCain, Obama called for "active international engagement" to address the dispute, "including a high-level and neutral international mediator, and a genuine international peacekeeping force -- not simply Russian troops."