Obama visits mountain West, knowing vulnerability

KRISTEN WYATT , LIZ SIDOTI Associated Press Writers DENVER

Perhaps no region of the country better illustrates Barack Obama's political vulnerabilities than the mountain West, a region traditionally wary of the federal government. He's hoping to ease some of those concerns in a Western swing blending town hall appearances and visits to national parks beginning today. Democrats have made recent election inroads in the region by successfully courting independents, Republican crossovers and conservative-to-moderate loyalists in their own party. But it's these very voters gun owners, civil liberta...