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Man accused of making Obama threat

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A North Carolina accountant faces federal charges of threatening to kill likely Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, officials said.

Jerry Blanchard of Indian Trail allegedly described a plan before two witnesses at a Charlotte restaurant July 15 to buy a handgun, rifle and laser scope. According to court documents he allegedly called the Illinois senator the "anti-Christ," reported WCNC-TV Sunday. Secret Service agents were contacted two weeks later when another witness alleged Blanchard made similar threats at a local hotel.

Blanchard has denied making any of the statements, according to his attorney, who said that his client has suffered a concussion from a fall and been ordered by a judge to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Western states the new battleground

PHOENIX, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A handful of U.S. states east of the Pacific Coast states are likely to emerge as the new battleground territories for the November election, observers say.

Political strategists say there is a new dynamic in states, including New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Montana, The Arizona Republic reported Sunday.

Since the late 1990s, the states in play have experienced an influx of residents from California and the Midwest, making some historically Republican-leaning states more Democratic.

"There's a new demographic in the West: More latte and less lasso," said Tony Robinson, an associate professor at the University of Colorado-Denver who studies the West's changing political landscape.

Political observers say likely Western states to swing to the Democratic column in the Nov. 4 presidential election are New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, where Republicans won the last presidential election by less than 5 percentage points.

Arizona, they said, would have been in play if Republican presidential hopeful John McCain were not from the state.

Jim Messina, chief of staff for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, said Democrats will win in many states that they are not expected to take.

"I think we'll win in a lot of places that people don't expect us to, and we hope Arizona is one of them," Messina said.

Russian calls for S. Ossetia tribunal

MOSCOW, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A Russian official says an international tribunal should be established to try Georgian leaders responsible for giving orders to invade South Ossetia.

Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin said the tribunal should punish whoever within the Georgian government gave orders to fire on the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, ITAR-Tass reported Sunday.

"It is necessary to find out (who is) responsible at a very high international level and to bring them to a legitimate international court," he told reporters Sunday. South Ossetian separatists and Russian foreign ministry officials say up to 1,500 people were killed and the city was virtually flattened in this weekend's fighting.

"Suspects should be fingered out among those who gave orders, and this should be thoroughly scrutinized and investigated," the news agency quoted Lukin as saying. "The one who gave orders on the night destruction of Tskhinvali is naturally the main responsible person."

Witnesses: Russia moves to Georgian border

TBILISI, Georgia, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Russian troops advanced through the breakaway region of South Ossetia Sunday en route to the Georgian border, witnesses say.

The New York Times said while the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe says Georgia is prepared for cease-fire negotiations, Russia appears to be tightening its military grip in South Ossetia.

However, a Russian defense official says his country has no plans to further escalate the international conflict by crossing the border into Georgia.

"We don't intend to take the initiative to escalate the conflict at this time," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn said.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the conflict in South Ossetia has already claimed the lives of dozens of people and caused tens of thousands of people to flee the war-torn region.

The aggressive movement of the Russian troops comes as Georgia announced it had pulled its troops from the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali.

The troops, which were ordered into the breakaway region Friday by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, were returning to positions they held before Thursday, CNN reported.