Polls show Obama leads in 3 key states
Sen. Barack Obama hasn't gotten much of a bump in the national polls since wrapping up the Democratic presidential nomination. But he got some good news yesterday.
Sen. Barack Obama hasn't gotten much of a bump in the national polls since wrapping up the Democratic presidential nomination. But he got some good news yesterday.
New surveys from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, conducted June 9-16, show him leading Republican Sen. John McCain in each of the three largest battleground states - Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
A month ago, McCain was leading in Florida and Ohio.
Since 1960, no candidate has been elected president without winning two of the three states.
Of the three, Pennsylvania looks to be Obama's strongest, according to Quinnipiac; he leads there 52 percent to 40 percent. A month ago, he had a six-point lead.
In Ohio, Obama is ahead 48 percent to 42 percent; in May, he trailed McCain 48 percent to 41 percent.
In Florida, Obama's lead is four points, 47 percent to 43 percent, which is not statistically significant. The May numbers had McCain leading 45 percent to 41 percent.
The sample size in each state was about 1,400 likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. In polls, the margin of error applies to each number.
- Larry Eichel
Obama faces flap over head scarves
DETROIT - One of two Muslim women who were denied visible seats Monday behind Barack Obama's stage in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena because they wore head scarves said they deserved a personal apology from Obama and close-up seats at a future campaign rally.
Hebba Aref, 25, and her friend Shimaa Abdelfadeel received apologies from the campaign Tuesday after they complained that they had not been allowed to sit near the podium when campaign volunteers learned that they wore the traditional Muslim head garb, called a
hijab
.
Aref said she was especially disappointed because she was attracted to Obama's message of unity and inclusion. She said she would like more than an apologetic phone call from a campaign official.
"I was kind of in shock that had happened," said Aref, 25, a lawyer. "I've lived here practically my whole life and [have] never been treated that way."
Aref said she had received a call and apology from an Obama campaign official, but that was not enough.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton, in a statement, said the volunteers' actions were "not the policy of the campaign." The campaign sent the Detroit Free Press photos of Obama at previous campaign events with supporters wearing head scarves near him.
"It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run," Burton was quoted as saying. "We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers."
- Detroit Free Press
