No holiday break on the campaign trail

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It may be Thanksgiving, but for some of the presidential candidates, there will be no holiday.

Many White House hopefuls are spending their Thanksgiving on the campaign trail.

"It's home for the holidays for the candidates, but it depends on what you call home," said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

With the moving up of the primary calendar, Thanksgiving falls just six weeks before the first caucuses, which will be in Iowa. That's where two Democratic presidential candidates have chosen to spend their holiday.

Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and his family are planning to volunteer and serve meals at the Machine Shed Restaurant in Urbandale.

Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut will be volunteering with his family at a Thanksgiving celebration in Monticello. Dodd's not just dropping by Iowa -- he rented a house in the Des Moines area and has moved his family to the Hawkeye State through the Iowa caucuses.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and his wife are spending Thanksgiving in New Hampshire, where they plan to volunteer. New Hampshire holds the nation's first primary and is another crucial player in choosing the party's presidential nominees.

GOP hopeful Sen. John McCain will be spending Thanksgiving with U.S. troops in Iraq as part of a congressional delegation. This marks the Arizona senator's seventh trip to Iraq.

Rival Rudy Giuliani will also be out this Thanksgiving. The former New York City mayor and his wife will host a breakfast for families of emergency workers.

Most of the remaining candidates will be home, spending the holiday with their families. But Thanksgiving eve found many of them mixing the holiday with presidential politics.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama was in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he attended a service at a food pantry. In response to reports that such pantries and food banks are struggling with shortages, the Illinois senator urged Americans to do what they can to help those in need.

A similar theme came from rival John Edwards. The former senator from North Carolina helped at a food pantry in Carrboro, North Carolina. Earlier in the day, Edwards unveiled his six-point plan for fighting hunger. E-mail to a friend

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