WASHINGTON — Barack Obama has picked up support from nearly all the Hispanic voters who voted for rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries, giving him a nearly three-to-one lead over Republican John McCain among Hispanics, a poll released Thursday shows.

The Pew Hispanic Center survey found Obama with 66 percent of the Hispanic vote to McCain's 23 percent.

The results represent a "sharp reversal" in Obama's fortunes from the primaries, when he lost the Latino vote to Clinton by nearly two-to-one, prompting speculation that Hispanics were leery of voting for a black candidate, said Susan Minushkin, the center's deputy director. » read more

WASHINGTON — Regardless of who wins the White House in an election where everyone talks about change, there's one change America can count on: taxes.

The fact that President Bush and Congress enacted temporary tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 that expire at the end of 2010 means it's inevitable that taxes will change, perhaps dramatically.

The next president and Congress will agree to extend some or all of those tax cuts while also cutting or raising other taxes — or else political gridlock will stymie agreement, the tax cuts will expire, and tax bills will go up for almost everyone. » read more

Likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain seems to have the upper hand on Latin American issues, especially on trade, say prominent Latin American intellectuals and politicians who have been following the U.S. elections.

Still, Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama's charisma and background have sparked excitement in the region.

Although no polls have been commissioned in Latin America on the U.S. presidential race, analysts can cite opinions shared by the general public and political leaders about the contest. » read more

LONDON — Not so long ago, David Lammy seemed destined to become Britain's first black prime minister.

He has much in common with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and counts him as a friend. Both are sons of immigrants, raised by single mothers, and both are interested in social justice issues. Both attended Harvard Law; they first met at an alumni gathering in 2005.

Able and articulate, Lammy "shot through the bottom ranks of government, hit the middle ranks of government and stayed there ever since," said Lester Holloway, the editor of New Nation, the leading black newspaper in Britain. Now in his mid-30s, Lammy is currently Skills Minister, a relatively minor cabinet position. » read more

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama has a huge lead over John McCain among Hispanic voters, a new poll released Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center found.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, led Republican rival McCain, 66 percent to 23 percent, according to the nationwide poll of 2,015 Latino registered voters. It was conducted between June 9 and July 13.

If those numbers hold up in the fall, Obama could have an important edge over McCain, since Hispanic voters are important blocs in some crucial states, notably California, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida. Republicans have tried hard to woo Latino voters; President Bush got an estimated 40 percent of the vote in 2004. » read more