Obama camp: No comment on Fannie, Freddie steps

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign declined on Friday to comment on whether it would favor a bailout for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Although the campaign said it was committed to ensuring that the two companies continue their "essential role" in providing housing affordability, it would not comment on what specific steps it would take to shore them up.

"Senator Obama is clear that he would take all necessary steps to ensure affordable homeownership for more than two million American families, and that includes an essential role for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," said Obama campaign spokesman Nick Shapiro.

"In a rapidly evolving situation it does not make sense to comment on each and every one of the many specific actions that could potentially be taken to this end," Shapiro added.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan and Claudia Parsons, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)