AP - As they steer toward November's presidential election, Democrats and Republicans are assessing the financial challenges ahead.

Reuters - Barack Obama sounded like the Democratic presidential nominee on a visit to the November election battleground of Florida on Wednesday, praising rival Hillary Clinton and targeting Republican foe John McCain.

AP - President Bush's GOP allies in the Senate face election-season votes Thursday on both his long-pending war funding request and tens of billions of dollars backed by Democrats for veterans education and an assortment of domestic programs.

AP - In a sharp reversal, drug and medical device companies are giving more money to Democrats than Republicans this election season, one more sign of the campaign difficulties the GOP could face this November.

AFP - Barack Obama Wednesday pledged that Democrats would unite to defeat Republican John McCain in November's presidential election as he celebrated a milestone on the road to his party's nomination.

Reuters - Republican presidential candidate John McCain criticized Democratic front-runner Barack Obama on Tuesday for saying he was willing to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro and accused him of wanting to weaken the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

Reuters - U.S. Rep. Vito Fossella of New York, under pressure from fellow Republicans to step aside after two headline-grabbing scandals, announced on Tuesday he will not seek re-election in November.

AP - The national Republican Party had nearly 10 times more cash on hand than its Democratic counterpart at the end of April, a notable GOP advantage in what otherwise has been Democratic fundraising dominance this election.

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