CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plans to visit North Carolina and two other Southern states where his campaign thinks he can win or, at least, make inroads.

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Obama will visit Charlotte on Monday, when his campaign said the Illinois senator will speak at a middle school. He will discuss his plans to help families hurt by the economic slowdown.

 

He also plans to visit Georgia and Virginia this week as part of a weeklong effort to campaign in states President Bush won in 2000 and 2004.

 

Bush won 56 percent of the vote in North Carolina in both elections. Obama says it "would be pretty foolish" not to try to win such states.