Clinton, Obama on the way

The New York senator will appear at a free public event Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Pier 30 warehouse on the Seattle waterfront. She might also campaign in Tacoma Friday morning and then in Spokane.

Her main event will be a noon rally at Northwest University in Kirkland Friday. She will conduct media interviews Thursday afternoon and Friday and possibly attend a campaign dinner in Spokane Friday before departing the Seattle area Saturday, said the Rev. Joseph Fuiten, Huckabee's state campaign chairman.

The Obama campaign received a big local boost Wednesday when the politically potent, 109,000-member Washington State Service Employees International Union endorsed the Illinois senator. The SEIU previously backed John Edwards, who has since dropped out of the race.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., Obama's state campaign chairman, and presidents of three SEIU locals announced the endorsement by one of the state's biggest and most politically active unions.

"We will be making tens of thousands of phone calls in the next few days to encourage our members to go to the caucuses to support Senator Obama," Adam Glickman, an SEIU spokesman, said.

"I think it's entirely possible that we could get out hundreds, if not thousands, of our members who would not otherwise have gone to the caucuses."

For its part in the endorsement race, the Clinton campaign announced the formation of a Washington Asian American and Pacific Islander Leadership Council for Hillary. Its co-chairmen are former Gov. Gary Locke, who already is one of Clinton's state co-chairmen, and state Sen. Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens.

Some Democrats who haven't joined either camp think Obama has the edge over Clinton in organization and passion here although Clinton has more big-name political backers, including Washington's two U.S. senators.

But Obama has done well in caucus states where he has inspired hordes of political newcomers to become active.

Washington will have the most delegates of the states holding nominating contests this weekend. Also vying for the candidates' attention Saturday are a two-party contest in Louisiana, Republican caucuses in Kansas and Democratic caucuses in Nebraska. On Sunday, Maine holds Democratic caucuses.

Then the candidates will turn to nominating contests Tuesday in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Once the caucuses are over, Washington voters aren't likely to see a Democratic candidate again before the primary.

"I think it's going to be very difficult for any Democratic candidate to get back to this state in the next 10 days (between the caucuses and the primary) because of all the states they have to get to," said Smith, the Obama chairman.

Reed , the secretary of state, said even though Washington's Democrats are ignoring the primary, "we've been checking with the counties to see how (absentee) ballots are coming in, and Democratic ballots are outnumbering the Republican ones.

"So the Democrats are participating," he said.

APPEARANCES IN SEATTLE

Sen. Hillary Clinton will speak at 8 p.m. today at the Pier 30 warehouse on the waterfront. Sen. Barack Obama will hold a rally at 11 a.m. Friday at KeyArena.

WASHINGTON CAUCUSES

On Saturday, Washington will hold presidential nominating caucuses. If you are thinking about attending your neighborhood caucus but are unsure of what to expect, we can help. Caucuses will open at 1 p.m. Saturday. The delegate selection process begins after 1:30 p.m.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Anyone registered to vote in a precinct holding a caucus can actively participate. Both parties require participants to sign a pledge of partisan support. And both parties allow nonparticipants to observe the goings-on.

FIND YOUR CAUCUS LOCATION

Democratic caucus: wa-democrats.org; 206-583-4345.

Republican caucus: wsrp.org; 206-575-2900.