COLUMBUS — With a trip to Youngstown by Republican John McCain and an anti-McCain radio attack ad from Ohio Democrats, the general campaign for president in Ohio unofficially blasts off today, April 22.

McCain put up a TV ad in the Youngstown area last week.

The battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination still rages with today's primary in neighboring Pennsylvania.

That leaves it to the Ohio Democratic Party to "welcome" McCain with an ad to be broadcast through Friday in Youngstown and across southeast Ohio on a variety of radio stations, including those with country and Christian formats.