AP - With the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination secure, the speaker of the Oregon House is turning his attention to defeating the sole GOP senator on the West Coast this fall.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama has opened an 8-point national lead on Republican John McCain as the U.S. presidential rivals turn their focus to a general election race, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

AP - Democrat Barack Obama has a message for Tennessee's Republican Party: "Lay off my wife."

AP - Longtime Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia endorses Obama ... McCain criticizes Obama for saying Iran poses lesser threat than Soviets ... Obama to reach delegate milestone Tuesday, but will still be short of nomination ... Not so fast, Clinton says to Obama — there's no nominee yet ... Poll: Clinton has wide lead in Kentucky; Obama ahead slightly in closer Oregon race ... Obama, angered by Tenn. GOP's handling of his wife's remarks

Reuters - Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, on Monday said he agreed with President George W. Bush's decision to the $289 billion farm bill because it did not cut subsidies to wealthy farmers enough.

Reuters - Republican presidential candidate John McCain marks Cuban Independence Day on Tuesday with a fresh slap at Democratic front-runner Barack Obama for a pledge to meet Cuba's leader if elected in November.

AP - Republican John McCain's game plan for beating Democrat Barack Obama rests on one huge assumption: Despite an unpopular war, an uncertain economy and the GOP's beleaguered status, the country still leans more to the right than to the left.

Bloomberg - May 18 (Bloomberg) -- Republican Senator Jon Kyl said Barack Obama's willingness to negotiate with Iran shows ``weak judgment,'' signaling his party will likely focus on portraying the Democratic presidential candidate as naive about rogue nations.

AP - McCain's national finance co-chair Loeffler resigns because of lobbyist ties ... Huckabee says he'd like to join GOP ticket as John McCain's running mate ... Obama tells seniors McCain would threaten Social Security; Clinton stumps in Kentucky ...

AP - Democrats accused Sen. John McCain Friday of hypocrisy on the question of whether the United States should negotiate with terrorists and dictators, saying the certain Republican nominee had previously been willing to negotiate with the militant Palestinian group Hamas.