Friday, October 24, 2008
Obama leads in traditionally Republican Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama moved from defense to offense Thursday as he characterized Republican John McCain’s approach to taxes as nothing more than “putting corporations ahead of workers.”
Looking out at a sea of 35,000 people who crammed a downtown park on a chilly day, Obama noted blue-collar and manufacturing workers in the audience who waited hours to see him. They face disappearing jobs in this traditionally Republican state which has both a Rust Belt economy and rural areas.
“That’s whose president I want to be,” he yelled, getting rousing cheers in response.
With stock markets diving, unemployment rising and Indiana alone losing 4,500 jobs in September, Obama argued that the country cannot afford a President McCain who “thinks the economic policies of George W. Bush are just right for America.”
McCain questions Obama camp’s proposal revision
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Republican John McCain, taking a cross-state bus tour aimed at keeping vote-rich Florida from swinging to the Democrats, on Thursday accused rival Barack Obama of saying “anything to get elected.”
The Arizona senator said Obama had added a work requirement to his proposal to grant a 10 percent universal mortgage credit. A top Obama aide said the campaign made the change two weeks ago to avoid charges that the proposal provided “welfare” to the unemployed.
“Thirteen days to go, and he changed his tax plan because the American people had learned the truth about it, and they didn’t like it,” McCain told a crowd at a lumber yard in coastal Ormond Beach. “It’s another example that he’ll say anything to get elected.”
Biden says McCain ‘doesn’t have a ‘steady hand
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday that Republican John McCain is “getting a little loose” at a time when the nation needs a steady hand.
Campaigning in NASCAR country, Biden employed car racing terminology for bumping to describe the contentious final days of the campaign. He told supporters in Charlotte that he’s worried about how the Republicans have been acting as the two campaigns have been “trading a little paint” recently.
“What worries me most is the McCain campaign seems to have gotten a little loose,” Biden said. “John’s getting a little loose. He doesn’t have much of a steady hand these days. Now’s the time we most need a steady hand.”
McCain justifies party’s $150K on Palin’s wardrobe
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) — John McCain isn’t happy about having to explain why the Republican Party has had to buy running mate Sarah Palin $150,000 in clothes, hair styling and accessories.
McCain was asked several questions Thursday about the shopping spree — and he answered each one more or less the same way: Palin needed clothes, and they’ll be donated to charity.
“She needed clothes at the time. They’ll be donated at the end of this campaign. They’ll be donated to charity,” McCain told reporters on his campaign bus between Florida rallies.
Asked for details on how they’ll be donated, McCain said, “It works by her getting some clothes when she was made the nominee of the party, and it will be donated back to charity.”
Asked if he was surprised at the amount spent, McCain said, “It works that the clothes will be donated to charity. Nothing surprises me.”
Associated Press