EAST LANSING, Mich. — Democratic Barack Obama said yesterday that his rival John McCain is out of touch with the economic struggles of Americans and doesn't understand that there's nothing more fundamental than a job.

Obama hammered McCain's economic record during two rallies in Michigan. Obama said the government's jobs report coming out today is expected to show a ninth straight month of decline.

"Nine straight months of job loss," Obama said. "Yet, just the other week, John McCain said the fundamentals of the economy are strong. Well, I don't know what yardstick Sen. McCain uses, but where I come from, there's nothing more fundamental than a job."

McCain spokesman Ben Porritt responded in an e-mail: "Barack Obama is addicted to government expansion, unable to understand our current economic crisis, and unwilling to support offshore drilling at a time when Americans are getting pick-pocketed at the pump — it all proves his lack of judgment on the urgency of solving these issues." Obama dropped his opposition to additional offshore drilling more recently than McCain did.

ADVISER SUGGESTS GATES AS HOLDOVER

WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to Barack Obama said yesterday that the Democrat might see Defense Secretary Robert Gates as a candidate to remain at the Pentagon if Obama wins the White House.

Without explicitly endorsing Gates for the job, Richard Danzig said Gates has exhibited leadership qualities that an Obama administration would value.

Danzig, who served as Navy secretary in the Clinton administration, cited Gates' pragmatic approach and his advocacy for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects. He said Gates has been a good defense secretary and "he'd be an even better one in an Obama administration."

JUDGE REFUSES TO BLOCK PALIN PROBE

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alaska judge yesterday refused to block a state investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power when she fired her public safety commissioner this summer.

Judge Peter Michalski threw out the lawsuit filed by five Republican state legislators who said the investigation had been tainted by partisan politics and was being manipulated to damage Palin shortly before the Nov. 4 presidential election.

The probe is looking into whether Palin and others pressured Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire a state trooper who was involved in a contentious divorce from Palin's sister, and then fired Monegan when he wouldn't dismiss the trooper.

BRISTOL CONSIDERS SUMMER WEDDING

WASILLA, Alaska — The teenage pregnant daughter of Sarah Palin and her boyfriend are considering a summer wedding.

Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, haven't set a wedding date yet, his mother, Sherry Johnston, said yesterday.

The two have been considering getting married next summer, "but that could change," she said. The baby is due in late December.