Presidential race On the campaign trail

The latest developments on the campaign trail:

Al Gore announced his endorsement of Barack Obama on Monday and promised to help the Democrat achieve what eluded him — the presidency. In a letter to be e-mailed to Obama supporters, the former vice president and Nobel Prize winner wrote, “From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected president of the United States.”

Obama’s campaign named new senior advisers Monday, including former Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle as chief of staff to the presidential candidate’s yet-to-be-chosen running mate.

Sen. John McCain said Monday the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling should be lifted, and individual states given the right to pursue energy exploration in waters near their own coasts. With gasoline prices rising and the United States chronically dependent on foreign oil, the Republican presidential contender said his proposal would “be very helpful in the short term resolving our energy crisis.”

Obama said he will visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the November election. Obama said he spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Monday about the war and told him he looks forward to seeing him in Baghdad.

Source: Associated Press