Nation briefs 2/4/08

Obama airs TV ad during Super Bowl

WASHINGTON -- Pigskin and politics. It's an audience Barack Obama couldn't ignore. Obama, neck and neck with Hillary Rodham Clinton heading into Tuesday's nominating contests, is airing ads during the Super Bowl in television markets serving 24 states that are in play on Super Tuesday and beyond. The 30-second ad is a summary of Obama's political message, played against images of crowds of supporters, despair in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina's destruction. With the Super Bowl being played two days before Super Tuesday, speculation had been growing about which campaign, if any, would take the plunge and make a pitch to such a huge television audience.

Clinton visits church, union hall in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- Sen. Hillary Clinton took her Democratic presidential campaign to an urban church and a suburban union hall Sunday, and responded to concerns about her electability. Clinton addressed thousands at the machinists union hall and took questions on issues such as universal health care, the housing crisis and global climate change. Earlier Sunday, Clinton spoke to the predominantly black congregation at the Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in north St. Louis.

In Ill., Romney links McCain with Obama

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. -- Mitt Romney lobbed a political twofer on Sunday, linking Republican rival John McCain with Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama as he sought Super Tuesday votes in Illinois. The former Massachusetts governor, joined on stage by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, cast himself as the more reliable conservative in comparison to McCain as he made his pitch to bedrock Republicans.

-- From wire reports