Senator Obama celebrated Father’s Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are “missing from too many lives and too many homes,” to become active in raising their children.

“They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it,” the Democratic presidential candidate said yesterday at a largely black church in his hometown.

Reminding the congregation of his firsthand experience growing up without a father, Mr. Obama said he was lucky to have loving grandparents who helped his mother. He got support, second chances, and scholarships that helped him get an education. Mr. Obama’s father left when he was 2.

“A lot of children don’t get those chances. There is no margin for error in their lives,” said Obama, an Illinois senator.

“I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle — that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls,” added Mr. Obama, whose daughters, Sasha and Malia, and his wife, Michelle, watched from the audience.

Mr. Obama’s appearance at the Apostolic Church of God was his first address to a church since he ended his membership at Trinity United Church of Christ, where he had worshipped for 20 years, following inflammatory remarks there by his former longtime pastor and others.

Mr. Obama frequently emphasized the importance of God in his life and ended the speech by asking the congregation to “Pray for me. Pray for Michelle.”

DEMOCRATS FUME AT LIEBERMAN ATTACKS ON OBAMA

Senator Lieberman is fast becoming the Democrats’ public enemy no. 1.

The four-term Connecticut senator, who came close to being Al Gore’s vice president in 2000, not only has been campaigning for his pal, Senator McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Now he’s criticizing the Democrats’ standard-bearer, Senator Obama. Mr. Lieberman has strayed before, switching to independent from Democrat in 2006 after a Democratic primary loss.

But the latest betrayal has upset Democrats, who often answer in clipped but polite tones when asked about him. The reason: The independent caucuses with the Democrats on most issues except the Iraq war, and he holds their slim political majority in his hands.

“There’s a commonly held hope that he’s not going to be transformed into an attack dog for Republicans,” said Senator Kerry.

THREE POSSIBLE VEEPS EXPRESS LITTLE INTEREST

Two former senators and one sitting governor thought to be possible candidates for vice president yesterday expressed minimal interest in the job but didn’t remove themselves from consideration. That was in contrast to a statement Saturday by a former Virginia governor, Mark Warner, removing himself from consideration as a possible running mate for Senator Obama.

Two leading Spanish newspapers reported this month that John Edwards, Senator Kerry’s running mate in 2004, had ruled out accepting the same offer from Mr. Obama. Mr. Edwards, a candidate for president in this year’s primaries, stepped back a bit yesterday. “I intended it to say that this is not a thing that I’m seeking. I think Senator Obama, first of all, has earned the right to make this decision for himself. I think he has enormous choices available to him, really great choices available to him,” he said on “This Week” on ABC.

Governor Jindal of Louisiana said he’s focused on the job he started in January. “The speculation is flattering. I’ve talked to the senator several times. We’ve never talked about the topic,” he said yesterday on “Face the Nation” on CBS. “The reality is, I’ve got the job that I want.”

Fred Thompson, who sought this year’s Republican nomination, said on ABC: “I’m not interested.”

OBAMA PROMISES WHITE HOUSE BASKETBALL

Senator Obama sidestepped picking a winner in yesterday’s NBA Finals game, but the basketball aficionado is ready to take a firm stand if he makes it to the White House.

“I hear there’s a bowling alley and obviously that hasn’t gone too well,” Mr. Obama told comic Jimmy Kimmel in a satellite interview from Philadelphia yesterday. “So we’re getting rid of the bowling alley and replacing it with a basketball court in the White House.”

The Illinois senator avoided picking a favorite between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics: “I’m a Bulls fan,” the Chicagoan said.