McCain, Obama Battle For Pennsylvania

Both Candidates Seek The Upper Hand On The Economy As They Rally Supporters In Key Battleground

(CBS/ AP)  The World Series game in Philadelphia got suspended last night. But the campaign never stops.

With just one week to go before Election Day, both presidential campaigns held morning rallies in Pennsylvania as they battle for the state's crucial 21 Electoral Votes.

Democrat Barack Obama carried on Tuesday with an outdoor rally at Widener University, outside Philadelphia, despite miserable weather. A cold, steady rain made it feel like the temperature was right around freezing.

It was the same kind of weather that halted the fifth game of the World Series in Philadelphia on Monday night between the hometown Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the first such suspension in the history of the baseball championship.

Several thousand people came out to hear Obama, his party's presidential nominee.

Obama told the shivering crowd, "I just want all of you to know that if we see this kind of dedication on Election Day, there is no way that we're not going to bring change to America."

Gone were Obama's suit and tie. He wore jeans, sneakers and a waterproof raincoat. Still, shunning an umbrella, he got soaked. Obama later changed clothes before resuming his events.

Meanwhile, Republican John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin are sweeping through the state as polls show them trailing the Democratic ticket, but McCain says it's "wonderful to fool the pundits" and is vowing to pull an upset.

McCain told supporters in Hershey, Pa., on Tuesday that, in his own words: "I'm not afraid of the fight. I'm ready for it."

McCain worked to light a fire under his supporters.

"Nothing is inevitable, we never give up," said McCain. "Let's go win this election and get this country moving again."

McCain also continued to label Obama a traditional liberal Democrat seeking to redistribute the wealth.

"Sen. Obama is running to be redistributor in chief, I'm running to be commander in chief," said McCain. "Sen. Obama is running to punish the successful, I'm running to make everyone successful."

Palin defended their campaign's harsh attacks on Obama.

"Our opponent is not being candid with you about his tax plans," said Palin. "It is not mean-spirited, and it is not negative campaigning to call out someone on their record."

Though McCain trails Obama in the polls nationally and in Pennsylvania - or maybe because of that - McCain is sounding increasingly scrappy and referring to his rival as "the most liberal candidate to ever seek the presidency."

McCain also campaigned in Pennsylvania on Monday, but today's campaign day was also complicated by wintry weather, which forced the cancellation of an outdoor event later in Quakertown. McCain was heading to North Carolina and Florida before the day was over. Palin was heading on her own to other events in Pennsylvania after the rally in Hershey.

McCain returned to the theme that he's the candidate who is ready to take office, seasoned by a military career and his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He brought up their differences over the Iraq war. McCain opposes and Obama favors a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. combat troops.

"Have you ever heard the word `victory' pass through Obama's lips?" McCain asked backers. "My friends, we're winning in Iraq."

McCain left few openings untouched, even bashing Obama for airing a 30-minute commercial Wednesday night that will delay the continuation of the World Series baseball game that was suspended on Monday night.

"No one will delay a World Series game with an infomercial when I'm president," said McCain.

Meanwhile, Obama countered that when it comes to the economy, "John McCain has stood with this president every step of the way."

He added, "The question in this election is not 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' We know the answer to that. The real question is, 'Will this country be better off four years from now?"'

Obama is ahead in the race in Pennsylvania for its 21 electoral votes. It takes 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the presidency.

Obama's trip to Pennsylvania today and yesterday marked the first time in more than a week that he had bothered to visit a state fellow Democrat John Kerry won four years ago.

Obama's rally today was in the strategic Philadelphia suburb of Chester.

The small city is in Delaware County, a pivotal swing area of the state. Neighborhoods here range from economically depressed to working class to ritzy. Republicans hold an edge over Democrats in voter registration, and both campaigns are surging to get out the vote. Chester itself is predominantly black, but the broader county has a mostly white population.

In a show of confidence, he has spent the rest of his campaign time in the past week or more in "red" states - Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio - as he reaches for a sizable triumph.

Ahead in the polls, Obama spends little time at all defending Democratic blue states except for Pennsylvania - where McCain is pushing hard.

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Later today, the Illinois senator heads to Virginia for a rally at James Madison University in Harrisonburg and then another one at night in Norfolk on his ninth trip to Virginia since he clinched the Democratic Party's nomination in June. Obama is vying to become the first Democrat for president to win the state in 44 years.

McCain and Palin are campaigning aggressively in Virginia, too. The transformation of the Washington-savvy northern Virginia region, coupled with distaste for an unpopular president, no longer makes the commonwealth reflexively Republican.

Obama's campaign exudes an air of calm and confidence. He plans to plug for votes in North Carolina, Florida and Missouri in the coming days.

Like Virginia, all of them went for Bush in 2004.

[tigerrram9]

Pennsylvania you have less than a week to decide the future of our great country..Read my thoughts and remember them when you go to the polls.
My thoughts, my heart.
America. Today I voted. Today I exercised my right as an American. Today my voice was heard across the country. Today I voted my heart...not my fears or my hatred. Today I voted for the future of my country.
Today I voted for the future of my grandchildren. Today I voted for America. God Bless America.
Today I voted OBAMA 08.
America when you cast your vote and you feel good in your hearts, you made the right choice. May God Bless the USA.

[raheem44]

OBAMA 08

[tigerrram9]

Pennsylvania you have less than a week to decide the future of our great country..Read my thoughts and remember them when you go to the polls.
My thoughts, my heart.
America. Today I voted. Today I exercised my right as an American. Today my voice was heard across the country. Today I voted my heart...not my fears or my hatred. Today I voted for the future of my country.
Today I voted for the future of my grandchildren. Today I voted for America. God Bless America.
Today I voted OBAMA 08.
America when you cast your vote and you feel good in your hearts, you made the right choice. May God Bless the USA.

[garys21121]

Hey, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
www.garyinthemorning.com

[garys21121]

Hey, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
www.garyinthemorning.com

[garys21121]

Hey, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
www.garyinthemorning.com

[Confidential416]

I am an independent voter in PA- wishing PA had an early voting option. 6 months ago I thought I would be voting for mccain - then palin - reckless, erratic decision to put the country at risk for a short term gain of a few points in the polls. that''s when I began to really pay attention. time and time again mccain has been erratic, reckless, unprofessional - then he started with the negative campaigning - the other night in PA he addressed obama concerns with nuclear power blah blah blah... those were his words - blah blah blah over something as big a topic as nuclear energy... since nothing else has worked he has the fear tactics in full force.. and that was it for me - mccain became mcsame - their big word now - socialism ... the parrots of mccain of started using the word without knowing the meaning. worse yet, once they started using an "ism" they went from socialism to fascism - to whatever "ism" will scare the american people. I am done being afraid. I am voting for Obama!

[Confidential416]

I am an independent voter in PA- wishing PA had an early voting option. 6 months ago I thought I would be voting for mccain - then palin - reckless, erratic decision to put the country at risk for a short term gain of a few points in the polls. that''s when I began to really pay attention. time and time again mccain has been erratic, reckless, unprofessional - then he started with the negative campaigning - the other night in PA he addressed obama concerns with nuclear power blah blah blah... those were his words - blah blah blah over something as big a topic as nuclear energy... since nothing else has worked he has the fear tactics in full force.. and that was it for me - mccain became mcsame - their big word now - socialism ... the parrots of mccain of started using the word without knowing the meaning. worse yet, once they started using an "ism" they went from socialism to fascism - to whatever "ism" will scare the american people. I am done being afraid. I am voting for Obama!

[mavnomore]

cont

And then you have the propagandist (sheep herders) that actually do pay attention and know that Obama is not a Muslim, know that Bush, Cheney and McCain are in the pockets of Big Oil, know that climate change is real, know that the Republican party was for deregulation of the financial industry (who needs big government except to bail out their failed policy and fat cat friends), know that the Iraq war was and still is about oil, know billions are being siphoned off in Iraq by war profiteering contractors, know that we have the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major nation in the industrialized world and yet they continue to stand before the American people and state otherwise (lie) while knowing the actual truth all along.

[mavnomore]

Vote for the man that stood up for our military in it darkest hour.-VOTE for John McCain and Joe (Samuel)the (fake) Plumber. And GOD BLESS AMERICA -

Posted by doctor--cool


Straight Talk & McCain''s Support For the Military

* McCain has repeatedly voted against amendments in the Senate that would have covered such important services as improving care at veterans%u2019 hospitals, providing mental health services to soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse problems.

cont

[mavnomore]

cont

* In 2006, McCain voted against the Kerry amendment that would eliminate increased fees and co-payments for veterans in the TRICARE health care program by raising the discretionary spending limit by approximately $10 billion. The provisions would have been fully offset by eliminating creating corporate tax breaks. [2006 Senate Vote #67, 3/16/2006]

* McCain was one of only 13 Republicans to vote against an amendment that added over $400 million for inpatient and outpatient care for veterans. [2006 Senate Vote #98, 4/26/2006]

* McCain voted against increasing funding for veterans health care by $2.8 billion in 2006. [2005 Senate Vote #55, 3/16/2005]

* McCain joined his Republican Senate cohorts in opposing exempting all military personnel and veterans from means testing in bankruptcy cases. [2005 Senate Vote #13, 3/1/2005]

* McCain opposed an amendment that would reduce from 60 to 55 the age at which certain members of the National Guard and Army reserves could receive retirement benefits. [2004 Senate Vote #136, 6/23/2004]

cont

[mavnomore]

cont

* Senator McCain opposed $322 million in funding for "battlefield clearance and safety equipment for U.S. troops in Iraq." A reduction in Iraqi reconstruction funds would have funded the additional protection for troops in the battlefield. [2003 Senate Vote #376, 10/2/2003]

* McCain voted against an amendment that would increase spending on the veterans health care program TRICARE by $20.3 billion over 10 years to members of the National Guard and Reserves. The increase would be offset by a reduction in tax cuts. [2003 Senate Vote #81, 3/25/2003]

* McCain opposed an amendment that would have increased veterans spending by $13 billion from 1997-2002 to be offset by closing corporate tax preferences and reinstating expired taxes. [1996 Senate Vote #115, 5/16/1996]

Time to take out the trash.

[raheem44]

It was revealed today that McCain is the leader of a fanatical Muslim group known as the Sword of Islam. This group, which originated in the Jewish section of Saudi Arabia, has just formed a new terrorist group with McCain as its leader. The nefarious members of this new group, known as Baby Jihadists, have devised a diabolic plan to kill innocent Americans. First they gurgle and make pleasant noises in adoption agencies in an attempt to be adopted. Once they are adopted and brought to America they set up vast undercover networks dedicated to the overthrow of America as we know it.

These babies are not ordinary babies. McCain teaches these babies to poop their drawers as he does himself. Once their drawers are full of poop, you cannot tell if it is poop or a bomb. That%u2019s the problem, because these are baby suicide bombers. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT attempt to change these diapers. Once you pull a pin, it%u2019s all over: SPLAT. And should you be hit by flying *****, blame their leader, John McCain.

[doctor--fool]

Hitler was a good man....just didn''''t finish the job with the microbes.....the like of joe stinky lieberman...

Posted by shazam138 at 12:58 AM : Oct 29, 2008

Dude, are you on drugs? Hitler was a terrible person. What are you thinking? You must be a Palin supporter.

[doctor--fool]

Hey yoda doda doctor ***** magga rodenta

Posted by shazam138 at 12:56 AM : Oct 29, 2008

Hey! Back attcha! How''s it hangin''?

[doctor--fool]

I like the McCain strategy to win Pennsylvania, Good gut response, If he can get ahead in Pennsylvania, The Momentum may carry him to a win.

Posted by doctor--cool at 12:23 AM : Oct 29, 2008

LOL! You''d say the same thing if he were trying to win Rhode Island! Hah! Idiot! Hah!

[raheem44]

My figurative hat is off to you for a good laugh, at the end of a laughable day.

Posted by alphaa01000 at 12:16 AM : Oct 29, 2008
_________________-

Thank you for the accolades, but please, please stay alert for the deceptive tactics of the enemy within. I am constantly receiving updates on the nefarious workings of new terrorist organisation: "Babies for the Overthrow of People." It doesn''t matter who the people are. You can recognise them by the bulge in their diapers because they are suicide bombers and their drawers are usually full. The question is: bomb or doo doo?

[raheem44]

I have information proving that McCain is one of the leaders of the Sword of Islam. He his a sworn enemy of the American people. You should notice that he never wears a flagpin, but under his lapel you can plainly see the hammer and sickle of the Wahhabi Sunni Labour party, an organisation dedicated to the overthrow of the Boy Scouts of America.

[raheem44]

McCain is a devout communist with ties to Ahmadinejad. The information I have proves he is a Muslim and was actually born in the Jewish part of Saudi Arabia. We cannot let this Muslim jihadist continue to masquerade as an American when his birth certificate shows he is half terrorist and half bomber. We must stop the madness before he is allowed to stuff all the ballot boxes with fire bombs.

[targaray-2009]

FACT:
- STOP THE MADNESS - VOTE FOR CHANGE - 2008