MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — About a dozen senior campaign staffers for Rudy Giuliani are foregoing their January paychecks, a sign of possible money trouble for the Republican presidential candidate who was last year's national front-runner.

"We didn't ask anybody to do it," Giuliani told reporters yesterday after a town hall meeting at a school in Coral Springs, Fla.

"Some people volunteered to do it because they wanted to stretch out the money," he said. "We've got quite a bit of money and they wanted to make sure that we had even more money for the end of this situation in Florida, so we could have enough on the air or whatever."

At the end of December, the campaign had $12.7 million cash on hand, $7 million of which could be used for the primary, said Mike DuHaime, Giuliani's campaign manager and one of those now working for free. He disputed the notion of a cash-strapped operation and said Giuliani continues to bring in money; several fundraisers are scheduled this week in Florida.

CLINTON URGES STIMULUS PACKAGE

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday called for Congress to pass an economic stimulus package of as much as $110 billion to help low-income households keep their homes, to subsidize heating costs this winter and perhaps refund some taxes.

The presidential candidate, on a two-day swing through key Feb. 5 primary state California, called on Congress to work with the White House to pass a $70 billion "immediate jump-start" to help people spend more money in the economy, and perhaps follow that up with another $40 billion in tax refunds.

"This economy may be working for some people, but it sure isn't working for everybody," said Clinton, standing in an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall with union members.

The proposal, her campaign said, would provide 37 million Americans with energy assistance. Hundreds of thousands more households would get help to avoid foreclosure.

ARIZONA GOVERNOR ENDORSES OBAMA

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president yesterday, citing his message of hope in supporting his candidacy over rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards.

Napolitano visited the Obama campaign office in Phoenix and joined him in a conference call with reporters.

"This endorsement is based on my belief in your leadership and vision and the fact that we need a new message of hope and solidarity of coming together in Washington, D.C.," Napolitano said.

MCCAIN DRAWS CROWDS IN S.C.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — John McCain and his South Carolina backers took their campaign roadshow to three restaurants along the coastline yesterday, one week before the state's primary.

At each event, the Arizona senator was flanked by state Attorney General Henry McMaster, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and state House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

"I could not be more comforted by the people who are here with me," McCain said.

The last rally of the day got off to a rough start. More than 500 people waited in the parking lot as a traffic jam delayed McCain's arrival. When McCain took the microphone, the sound failed.

"It's a conspiracy," he joked. "I knew I shouldn't have told that Irish joke."

ROMNEY CROWD THIN IN MICHIGAN

WARREN, Mich. — Despite embracing Michigan as the heart of his bid to revive his campaign, Republican Mitt Romney found himself greeted by an anemic crowd yesterday as he began his final push for votes in the crucial primary.

No more than 150 people were on hand for his appearance at Macomb Community College's Center for Alternative Fuels, in a space set up for an audience twice that size.

Romney delivered an unusually short, 13-minute address, breaking with recent practice and taking no questions from his audience.

Later, in Lansing, the audience was crowded into a conference room at the Small Business Association of Michigan. Romney spoke 20 minutes and took two questions — one of which was a statement thanking him for coming.

HUCKABEE ZINGS BACK OVER REAGAN

DETROIT — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee criticized rival Fred Thompson, saying he wasn't always supportive of Ronald Reagan.

During Thursday's debate, Thompson questioned Huckabee's commitment to the "Reagan revolution," still favored in the South. Thompson called his opponent a liberal on economic issues and foreign policies.

"It was real interesting hearing Fred Thompson talk about Ronald Reagan last night," Huckabee said yesterday. "Because Fred Thompson supported Gerald Ford in 1976 and not Ronald Reagan. He supported Howard Baker in 1980 and not Ronald Reagan. I appreciate his recent conversion, but some of us were for Ronald Reagan back in the early days; our legacy goes back a little further."

Huckabee also said he has the endorsement of the International Painters and Allied Trades.

EDWARDS FINDS S.C. UNPREDICTABLE

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — Presidential candidate John Edwards said yesterday he feels "at peace" campaigning in his native South Carolina, though he acknowledges that how Democratic primary voters will receive his populist message remains anyone's guess.

"It's just unpredictable who will vote, what they'll be focused on," Edwards said after a town hall meeting. "As long as I make it clear that I'm fighting for middle-class families and against entrenched money interests, I think I will run very strong here."

Edwards placed second in the Iowa caucuses and third in the New Hampshire primary.