Chelsea votes for Hillary over Bill

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton laughed at first when asked if her mother, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, would be a better president than her father, Bill, but then said: "Yes, I do think she'll be a better president."

Clinton, 28, spoke at Lehigh Valley Hospital, where she had been discussing her mother's health-care proposals.

Church to build on Wright's land

CHICAGO — Trinity United Church of Christ is building a million-dollar home along a Chicago-area golf course on land that was owned by its former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, records show.

Sen. Barack Obama has sought to distance himself from racial and political statements made by his church's former pastor.

The 10,340-square-foot home, apparently planned for Wright's retirement, sits on land purchased by the pastor in 2004 for $345,000.

In September 2006, the church applied for a building permit, and in December 2006 he sold the land to his church, which took out a $1.6 million mortgage on the property.

McCain's first TV ad airs in New Mexico

DENVER — Republican John McCain launched his first television ad of the general election Friday, portraying himself as a courageous leader with the knowledge and experience to keep the country safe as a wartime commander in chief.

"The American president Americans have been waiting for," the ad says, juxtaposing footage of the Arizona senator campaigning with clips of himself imprisoned in Vietnam three decades ago.

The images are superimposed with newspaper headlines that call him a hero who embodies American values, has a vision for the future and is ready now to serve from day one.

The ad campaign is part of a broader push by the Republican Party's presidential pick to introduce himself to voters on his terms.

For now, the 60-second ad will air only in New Mexico — a signal that McCain plans to compete in that swing state come the fall.

Aides say portions of the commercial may run soon on cable and broadcast-news programs.

Also

Bill Clinton in NW: Former President Clinton will campaign for his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Medford and Bend, Ore., on Sunday and Monday. Sen. Clinton is expected to visit Oregon before the state's mail-in primary votes are counted on May 20.

Seattle Times news services