MCCAIN PAYS TRIBUTE TO CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN SELMA

Senator McCain paid tribute to the civil rights movement in Selma, Ala., speaking near the site of the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march, in which police officers beat black demonstrators while they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The presumptive Republican nominee was embarking on a week-long tour of areas that his campaign says have drawn too little attention from government and candidates, particularly Republicans. He will also travel to a struggling steel town in Ohio, Youngstown, and the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. Mr. McCain’s appearance in Selma, a predominantly black community, was also a signal that he intends to reach out to African-American voters, though he is unlikely to win them over in the fall. “I am aware the African-American vote has been very small in favor of the Republican Party,” Mr. McCain told reporters after speaking to a largely white audience. “I am aware of the challenges, and I am aware of the fact that there will be many people who will not vote for me, but I’m going to be the president of all the people.”

NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS CANCEL APRIL 27 DEBATE

The Democratic Party in North Carolina has canceled a Democratic debate between senators Clinton and Obama scheduled for April 27, making it more likely that the two party hopefuls have faced off one-on-one for the last time. In a statement yesterday, organizers cited “time constraints and logistical issues” but they also noted “growing concerns over what another debate would do to party unity.” The North Carolina primary is scheduled for May 6. Mrs. Clinton had accepted the debate invitation but Mr. Obama had not. The Clinton campaign blamed the Illinois senator, with its state director saying he “has chosen to brush off the people of North Carolina by flatly refusing to debate.” The Obama campaign responded by noting that it had agreed to a separate North Carolina debate weeks earlier that the Clinton campaign rejected. The cancellation is also a blow to the embattled anchor of “CBS Evening News,” Katie Couric, who was set to moderate a debate for the first time.

OHIO SUPERDELEGATE BACKS OBAMA

A Democratic superdelegate from Ohio is endorsing Senator Obama, giving the Illinois senator a boost on the eve of the key vote in Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic National Committee, Enid Goubeaux, announced her decision yesterday, saying Mr. Obama would end the “politics as usual.” “I am endorsing Senator Obama because his message, ‘Yes we can,’ has inspired so many voters, especially younger voters, to take part in our country’s future,” Ms. Goubeaux said in a statement. “I believe that Senator Obama will end politics as usual which divides the nation and prevents us from confronting our most serious problems.” Mr. Obama has steadily eroded Senator Clinton’s lead among superdelegates in recent weeks.

MCCAIN RECEIVES SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION

The Secret Service has joined Senator McCain on the campaign trail for the first time, with several agents guarding the presumptive Republican nominee yesterday during his Alabama trip, according to reports. Mr. McCain had initially resisted Secret Service protection, which is traditional for major party nominees, but he relented a few weeks ago and began discussions with the agency. The extent of his protection and the number of agents traveling with him are expected to increase as the campaign progresses. Senator Obama has received protection since last year and Senator Clinton has traveled with Secret Service agents since she left the White House because she is a former first lady.

CANDIDATES TAPE MESSAGES FOR WWE

All three presidential candidates taped messages for the World Wrestling Entertainment’s popular “Monday Night Raw” program, the Associated Press reported. In her clip, Senator Clinton tells fans to call her “Hill-Rod” and promises to be “a president who will go to the mat for you.”

Senator Obama asked wrestling fans with a grin: “Do you smell what Barack is cooking?”

And Senator McCain had a question for his general election opponent: “Whatcha gonna do when John McCain and all his McCainiacs run wild on ya?”