McCain steps up efforts in N.C.

He opens offices, hires more staff

RALEIGH -- With Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama scheduled to stump today in Charlotte, the campaign of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain announced plans to ratchet up its efforts in North Carolina.

The McCain campaign said Saturday that it had opened 14 offices in the state and hired 20 staffers -- a number that it said would likely grow to 20 offices and 25 to 30 staffers.

"This is a state that Senator Obama and his campaign have targeted and put extraordinary resources and finances in the state," said Mike DuHaime, the political director for the North Carolina McCain campaign.

President Bush is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Greensboro on Sept. 30 to raise money for the McCain-Palin ticket.

The event will be held at the Irving Park home of businessman Louis DeJoy and former U.S. ambassador Aldona Wos.

DeJoy, who is state McCain finance chairman, said he expects 350 people to attend the event and predicted it would raise "hundreds of thousands" of dollars.

The McCain campaign has been playing catch-up in North Carolina, which the Obama campaign targeted early. Obama has 31 offices in the state and more than 200 staffers. Obama also has spent at least $2.5 million on TV advertising in the state, far more than McCain. Obama began his TV ad campaign in early summer, and McCain began his during the week of the Republican National Convention.

But despite that effort, the McCain campaign noted that every statewide public opinion poll has shown McCain with either a large or a modest lead in the state.

DuHaime said the intensity of the Republican effort in the state is growing. He said 39,000 Republicans had requested absentee ballots, compared to 18,000 Democrats.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the GOP candidate for governor, said during the conference call that McCain had shown his experienced leadership by warning of the breakdown of Fannie Mae, the troubled lender, and had sought legislation to fix it.

Obama is scheduled to campaign in uptown Charlotte today -- his third campaign appearance in the state since the May primary. His wife, Michelle Obama, made a campaign swing through Charlotte, Greensboro and Durham last week. Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, campaigned in Charlotte last weekend.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, an Obama surrogate, campaigned in Asheville, Hickory and Greensboro on Saturday.

Neither McCain nor his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has made a public campaign appearance in the state in the general election. DuHaime said he did not know when either would campaign in North Carolina.