DEM CANDIDATE PROFILES, TIMELINES, VIDEO & MORE DEM CANDIDATE PROFILES, TIMELINES, VIDEO & MORE Hillary Rodham Clinton: Can N.Y. senator reach the finish? Barack Obama: Contender vaults into political limelight Enlarge By Scott Olson, Getty Images Sen. Barack Obama speaks during a town hall style meeting in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania April 21. CAMPAIGN ISSUES: 2008 CAMPAIGN ISSUES: 2008 Click on the titles to learn more about where the presidential candidates stand on the issues:



WAR IN IRAQ

The war in Iraq is the dominant issue in the 2008 race for the White House. The early primary votes will be cast as the conflict completes its fifth year. The next president will be the first to take the oath of office during an ongoing war since Richard Nixon in 1969.



IMMIGRATION

Immigration is a highly divisive issue, as concerns about terrorism amplify the debate about border security. Congress has failed to enact immigration legislation because of differences between supporters of tougher enforcement to limit illegal entry into the country and advocates of amnesty for illegal immigrants.



HEALTH CARE

Polls indicate that health care is one of the most important issues to voters heading into the 2008 presidential elections. The rising cost of health insurance and the growing number of uninsured give the issue added urgency. Several candidates have called for universal health care; others have said these plans amount to socialized medicine.



EDUCATION

White House hopefuls are divided on the federal government's role in education as Congress considers changes to President Bush's signature schools law, the No Child Left Behind Act, and how to make college affordable.



ABORTION

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in the landmark case Roe v. Wade and the ruling has been the subject of heated political debate ever since. Presidential candidates over the years have weighed in on a variety of abortion-related topics.



GAY CIVIL RIGHTS

The issue of civil rights for gay men and lesbians -- including the definition of marriage, service in the military and protection against hate crimes -- has long divided the two major political parties. It's not as simple as saying Democrats are for them, and Republicans are against them. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton scoured Pennsylvania for votes Monday amid signs Democrats are increasingly ready for the bitter presidential nomination race to end. On the eve of their first contest in six weeks, the two Democratic rivals angled to manage expectations. Obama insisted he wasn't expecting a Keystone State win, while a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll showed him with a lead nationwide over Clinton, 50%-40%, among Democrats and independents who lean Democratic. The sample of 552 adults has a margin of error of +/—5 percentage points. In Pennsylvania, a rash of last-minute state polls showed Clinton anywhere from 10 points ahead to three points behind — with most giving her single-digit leads. "I'm not predicting a win," Obama told Pittsburgh radio station KDKA. "I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect." The poll also found that Democrats and Democratic leaners are evenly split 48%-48% on whether the long, heated nomination contest is hurting the party and party leaders should unite behind a candidate. A Rasmussen Reports poll last month found 62% of Democrats wanted the race to go on. Despite concerns about the Democratic race dragging on, both candidates lead presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, according to the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. The matchups are within the margin of error, +/—3 percentage points. The telephone poll of 1,016 adults was taken Friday through Sunday. Clinton began the final day of campaigning in Scranton, her father's hometown, and traveled to Pittsburgh and Harrisburg before ending it in Philadelphia. She repeated a favorite theme on readiness, portraying Obama as untested. "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," she told a Pittsburgh audience. "I am very comfortable in that kitchen." Obama held a discussion on economics with 50 voters in Blue Bell, part of the suburban Philadelphia area he is looking to win big. He then flew west for a town hall in McKeesport and a rally at the University of Pittsburgh. Both candidates were joined by their spouses. The last-minute push included taped messages from both on World Wrestling Entertainment's Monday Night RAW on USA Network. Obama scheduled an appearance on Comedy Central's Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Clinton gave an interview to Larry King on CNN's Larry King Live! Clinton, trying for a decisive victory here to keep her nomination hopes alive, released a TV ad that featured images of Osama bin Laden, World War II and economic threats from such forces as soaring gas prices. The ad asks voters who they think can "stand the heat" of being president. Obama responded with a TV spot asking viewers who will be a uniter and "not use fear and calculation to divide us." Neither ad mentions the rival by name. The dueling ads reflected the sharpness of the final days on the trail. Clinton suggested a vote for Obama amounted to "a leap of faith or guesswork." Obama said a vote for Clinton was a vote to continue counterproductive game-playing in Washington. The negative tone, combined with an ABC debate last week that was heavy on character and scandal questions aimed mostly at Obama, have led many party strategists to conclude it's time to end what satirist Stephen Colbert calls "Democralypse Now — the delightful dismemberment of the Democratic hopescape." Bill Carrick, an unaligned party strategist in Los Angeles, called last week's debate "Exhibit A in why this thing needs to end. Everybody feels the same. Enough already." Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean has said he wants superdelegates — the party leaders and elected officials not bound by primary or caucus results — to start choosing sides now. Dean said he doesn't anticipate that the nomination will be settled until after the final nominating contests June 3. Clinton joked with a crowd in Harrisburg that the nomination fight "has been the world's longest job interview. … But we're getting down to a final decision." Contributing: Mark Memmott in McLean, Va. Jill Lawrence reported from the Obama campaign. Kathy Kiely reported from the Clinton campaign. Enlarge By Joe Raedle, Getty Images Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton greets people as she attends a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more