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Barack Obama leads John McCain, 48 percent to 43 percent in Montana, according to Rasmussen. In April, the numbers were flipped with McCain up 48 percent to Obama's 43 percent.

The two presidential candidates have nearly identical favorability ratings in the state, but the view voters have of Obama is more extreme than of McCain. Obama leads McCain in both the very favorable and very unfavorable rating.

The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Montana was Bill Clinton in 1992, but Clinton won the state with 38 percent of the vote, thanks to a strong showing by Ross Perot who got 26 percent of the vote. Since then the state has been safely red in presidential elections, but both senators and the state's governor are currently Democrats.

Obama beat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), 56.4 percent to 41.2 percent, in state's Democratic primary on the last day of the primary.

From ABC:

Sources have confirmed that President Bush is expected to be briefed on these pressing GTMO issues--and may reach a decision on the future of the naval base as a prison for al Qaeda suspects--before he leaves for the G8 on Saturday. An announcement, however, is not expected before he leaves the country.

If the detention camp is closed it will take an issue off the table for Barack Obama who has promised to close the facility.

A June Supreme Court decision granted suspected terrorists being held at the detention facility the right of habeas corpus. John McCain sided with the White House in blasting the decision. Obama applauded the decision.

 

John McCain decried the report Thursday that U.S. employees reduced payrolls by 62,000 last month.

The quick response comes as McCain's campaign adjusts to a new day-to-day manager, Steve Schmidt, and places more emphasis on the U.S. economy.

Here's McCain's statement:

"Americans across this country are hurting and today's job numbers are just the latest indication. From rising gas prices to home foreclosures, families are struggling to meet economic challenges that become greater every day. Washington can no longer abdicate its responsibility to act. Our focus must be clear: enact policies to create jobs today."

"To get our economy back on track, we must enact a jobs-first economic plan that supports job creation, provide immediate tax relief for families, enact a plan to help those facing foreclosure, lower health care costs, invest in innovation, move toward strategic energy independence and open more foreign markets to our goods.

"The American people cannot afford an economic agenda that will take our country in the wrong direction and cost jobs. At a time when our small businesses need support from Washington, we cannot raise taxes, increase regulation and isolate ourselves from foreign markets. These are the same old siren songs that have failed the American people time and time again."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is hailing the rescue of three American defense contractors from Colombian rebels.

Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes had been held by rebels, along with kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, since 2003 when their surveillance plane crashed in the Colombian rainforest.

Colombian spies rescued the hostages yesterday, posing as rebels and tricking their captors into handing them over.

"The news that three Americans and their fellow captives held by Colombian rebels have been freed is the answer to the hopes and prayers of so many," Pelosi said in a statement last night.

Barack Obama and John McCain praised the rescue Wednesday in Colombia of 15 hostages, including a former presidential candidate and three U.S. military contractors, who were held by rebels.

Colombian spies tricked the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forced of Colombia, also known as FARC, into handing over Ingrid Betancourt, who ran for the country's presidency in 2002. She was abducted that year along with the contractors and 11 Colombian police officers and soldiers.

McCain, who was in Colombia Tuesday and Wednesday, said that President Alvaro Uribe and the Colombian defense minister had told him of the rescue plans.

"I'm pleased with the success of this very high-risk operation," McCain said in a release. "Sometimes in the past, the FARC has killed the hostages rather than let them be rescued. So I congratulate President Uribe, the military and the nation of Colombia. It is great news. Now we must renew our efforts to free all of the other innocent people held hostage. With regard to the three Americans and Ingrid Betancourt -- they had been held many years, as many as six years."

Obama said he looked forward to the reunion of the hostages with their families. Obama also praised Colombia's hard-line stance toward FARC.

"I strongly support Colombia

A group on Barack Obama's social networking site my.barackobama.com opposed to the Illinois senator

Vets for Freedom, a veterans group opposing withdrawal from Iraq, will launch a multi-million dollar television ad campaign next week calling attention to security gains achieved by the so-called surge, the group announced today.

The ads will feature Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and are "aimed at informing the American people about the truth regarding progress in Iraq and Afghanistan," the group said today.

The group will unveil its first ad at a press conference Wednesday, where it will also launch a national "Four Months, For Victory" media and grassroots campaign.

Grassroots efforts will be concentrated in 12 states identified as home to key lawmakers: Colorado, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Those 12 are also all battleground states in November's presidential election.

Barack Obama wants to expand the U.S. Foreign Service and employ immigrants in diplomatic efforts, seeking utilize their linguistic fluencies and cultural ties, according to a position paper released today by his campaign.

The paper, sent to reporters via email, outlined Obama' policies on Latin America as John McCain travels to Colombia and Mexico for a three-day trip.

Obama would expand the U.S. Foreign Service--a corps of roughly 12,000 State Dept. diplomats primarily serving abroad--by 25 percent, adding more language specialists, economists, and experts on agriculture, health, and economic development, the paper said. The Foreign Service makes up about one fifth of the State Dept.

The Illinois Democrat would also employ U.S. immigrants in diplomacy, seeking to harness their "familial, cultural, economic, and language ties" abroad. Read more...

Barack Obama set specific goals Wednesday for increased military and community service under an Obama presidency.

Obama, in a speech in Colorado Springs, Colo., said he would seek to increase ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines and quadruple the size of the AmeriCorps program, from 75,000 participants to 250,000.

Obama rued the lack of a call for service in the aftermath of 9/11.

"The burden of service has fallen almost exclusively onto the backs of our military and their families, who have endured tour after tour after tour of duty, bravely and brilliantly, even though they haven't always gotten the care and support that they have earned," he said.

Obama also proposed an increase in the USA Freedom Corps program to make it easier for Americans to find volunteer opportunities. As president, Obama would also set a goal for middle and high school students to perform community service 50 hours a week each year and for college students to perform 100 hours annually. And Obama said he would start a network for social investment funds, to increase money given to non-profit groups.

"Now, I'm not going to tell you what your role should be. That's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part, ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history," he said. "I'm asking you to change history's course."

John McCain leads Barack Obama in both Florida and Georgia, according to new polls by Republican firm Strategic Vision.

In Florida, McCain gets 49 percent to Obama's 41 percent. Bob Barr, the former GOP congressman from Georgia who is running as the Libertarian Party's candidate, gets 1 percent.

In Georgia, McCain receives 51 percent, Obama gets 43 percent and Barr receives 3 percent.