Campaigns Ratchet Up The Rhetoric

Obama Sharpens His Tone Against McCain As Republican Says His Rival Does Not Have What It Takes To Be Commander-In-Chief

(CBS/ AP)  Democrat Barack Obama is sharpening his tone against John McCain, accusing his Republican rival of sinking low by accusing him of being a socialist based on his tax plan.

Rallying a crowd Wednesday in North Carolina, the Democratic presidential contender said McCain will soon "be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten."

Obama also tried to turn around McCain's reliance on the argument of helping "Joe the Plumber." He's the Ohio man who gained national attention when Obama told him during a campaign stop that he wanted to "spread the wealth around."

Obama said people will be worse off under a McCain presidency whether they are "Suzy the student, or Nancy the nurse, or Tina the teacher, or Carl the construction worker."

Meanwhile, McCain said Wednesday that the country's economic problems will pass but that threats against the nation will not - and that Obama is not up to the task of protecting the United States.

In returning to the issue of national security, seen as McCain's strongest argument for his candidacy before the financial crisis overwhelmed the campaign, McCain stood with former military officers and national security advisers to ask rhetorically whether Obama had the wisdom and judgment to be commander in chief.

"The question is whether this is a man who has what it takes to protect America from Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and the other great threats in the world," McCain said. "He has given no reason to answer in the affirmative."

"When that day arrives and the worries of economic crisis have fallen away, we will find awaiting our country all of the same great challenges and dangers that were there all along," he said. (Read more about McCain's statement in From The Road.)

McCain was spending his day competing for Florida's 27 electoral votes, considered crucial to his effort to assemble the needed 270. At a morning rally in Miami's Little Havana, he also continued his attacks on Obama over the economy. (Read more on the campaign in Florida)

"I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive," said McCain. Speaking at a Miami lumber yard that employs 100 people, down from 300 because of economic turmoil, he argued that Obama's economic plans would devastate small businesses.

"Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden ought to understand: Raising taxes makes a bad economy worse," McCain said. He warned that Obama's rhetoric masks a big-spending liberal politician.

"He can't do that without raising your taxes or digging us further into debt," said McCain.

And McCain has crafted a populist argument to deflect conservative criticism of his vote a $700 billion bailout of financial institutions. "I'm going to make sure we take care of the working people who were devastated by the excess and corruption of Wall Street and Washington," he said.

McCain also touted his plans to boost domestic offshore oil production, saying he said would leave the decision on drilling to the states but give them an incentive to increase production.

"We will drill offshore, and we will drill now," he said. "If we're going to drill off the state of Florida, you deserve more of those revenues. They shouldn't be sent to Washington, they should be sent to Tallahassee."

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin also talked about energy on Wednesday, calling for a "clean break" from the Bush administration's energy policies, which she says rely too much on importing foreign oil.

The Alaska governor said the recent drop in gas and oil prices shouldn't deter consumers and lawmakers from seeking alternative energy sources. She cast energy independence as a national security issue and said dependence on Middle East oil leaves the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorists.

"We not only provide wealth to the sponsors of terror, we provide high-value targets to the terrorists themselves," Palin said. "Across the world are pipelines, refineries, transit routes and terminals for the oil we rely on. And al Qaeda terrorists know where they are." (Read more about her speech.)

McCain at his rally also sought to energize the Cuban section of Miami, a devout Republican base, with derisive references to the Cuba's Castro brothers and ridicule of Obama's willingness to talk with hostile foreign leaders.

As for the Castro brothers, "We'll sit down with them right after they empty the political prisons," McCain said.

---

Ways To Win
Calculate your own path to the presidency with our Electoral Vote prediction map.

---

After his stop in North Carolina, Obama also heads to Florida where he is aiming for a one-man television blitz on Wednesday night, saturating prime-time with a 30-minute ad and popping up on the buzzy late-night TV scene.

CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic reports that according to aides, the campaign is trying to gain midweek momentum that they hope will carry them through Election Day.

"For weeks now, Obama has been playing it safe, sticking to his message on the economy and defending his tax plan," reports Gavrilovic. "The campaign calls this "consistency" but for some voters, the end of the campaign season may have become a bit run-of-the-mill. The campaign hopes to change that today." (Read more from Gavrilovic)

The centerpiece of the effort is Obama's infomercial. It is rare for a candidate to buy a block of prime-time real estate to tell his story. Plenty costly, too.

The ad is expected to be a video montage of typical people talking about the challenges they face, with Obama explaining how he can help. A campaign adviser said the taped ad will feature a live cut-in to Obama, who is scheduled to be at a rally in Florida at the time.

The Obama team bought time on CBS, NBC and Fox for about $1 million per network. The spot airs at 8 p.m. EDT. It is also scheduled to run on Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One.

Flush with cash from his record-shattering fundraising, Obama uses that advantage by buying up media time in ways that McCain cannot.

"What can $150 million raised in September do for a campaign?" writes CBSNews.com senior politics editor Vaughn Ververs in Horserace. "Well, for starters, it allows Barack Obama to put the pedal to the metal in the final week of the campaign and make it much more difficult for John McCain to stage what at this point would have to be considered a comeback." (Read more from Ververs)

McCain is purchasing loads of ad time, too. But the disparity between Obama and the Republicans is so wide that it has allowed Obama to spend in more states than McCain, appear more frequently in key markets and diversify his messages - some positive, some negative.

And negative is the tone for the latest Obama ad, a 30-second spot aimed at key states that uses McCain's own words against him and mocks Palin. Three quotes, one from 2005 and two from 2007, play off McCain's acknowledgment that he knows less about economic matters than other issues. In the last quote, McCain says he might have to rely on his vice president for expertise - and then the spot cuts to a winking Palin.

McCain countered with his own new ad Wednesday, dismissing Obama's infomercial as a "TV special."

"Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV special, lies the truth," the McCain ad's announcer says. "With crises at home and abroad, Barack Obama lacks the experience America needs. And it shows. His response to our economic crisis is to spend and tax our economy deeper into recession. The fact is Barack Obama's not ready yet." (Read more about the latest ads and then watch them)

In addition to the paid television time tonight, Obama is also doing several interviews today. During a stop in Raleigh, N.C., Obama also will be interviewed by Charlie Gibson of ABC's "World News."

Later, in Florida, Obama will tape an appearance on Comedy Central's irreverent "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. The segment will run at 11 p.m. EDT.

Obama may even be competing with himself.

During the same 11 p.m. slot, Obama is scheduled to appear at a campaign rally for the first time with former president Bill Clinton, whose wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, lost to Obama in the primaries.

The uniting of the former president and the would-be president in Kissimmee, Fla., is sure to draw live local and national television coverage.

[agidoi]

hi

[agidoi]

obama wants to share the wealth like russsia did back in the revultion

[brianbwb-2009]

"And negative is the tone for the latest Obama ad, a 30-second spot aimed at key states that uses McCain''s own words against him and mocks running mate Sarah Palin."

This is not negative, as it is based on words from McSame''s own mouth, and thus gives a more accurate picture of the motivation, qualification, judgment, and temperament of "really ol'' boy" McSame, and at the end reminds all about "I can see Russia from my house" Palin''s failure to grasp the nature of questions put to her.

It apparently does these things without much added comment, giving the viewers credit for being able to judge for themselves.

Negative would be the McSame/Palin attempt to use lies, like him being a Muslim, or coded appeals to racism, such as "he''s not one of us," and totally unsupported comments like "surrendering in Iraq", and fear mongering such as the statement about Mr. Obama raising taxes, while everyone knows that Mr. Obama simply will let Bush''s cuts expire, which is not a raise, but a restoration.

If McSame can quote Mr. Obama with full sentences, in the original context, in the same way that Mr. Obama quotes McSame, on the issues, and not irrelevant smears, then McSame would also not be negative.

Problem is that on the issues, McSame bites it big time, as he is no more than Bush re-wrapped.

[natia45]

Obama is as savvy as it gets. Setting out to seal the deal.

[agidoi]

ill remember that brianbwb when i am setting at your table eating cause we will be socialist then and have to share weather you know me or not

[silver1237]

Here comes the Big Silent Majority Bus.

The polls are historically wrong when the the race is tight Obama is celebrating to early.

[agidoi]

and barack got his free thanks to the tax payers

[agidoi]

im a dem and i hope you are right silver

[agidoi]

im so sad to see the dem.s be so bumb about a person but i think the lord is in control now and you will have to live with and hope you are on the right side

[specialty8]

Cheer up everyone! Last week I thought I would have to work until Nov.5, but barry said to take off on the 4th and vote for him.He has those printing presses ready to go with those Obamabucks with the choosen ones picture on it. I hope he does not do what Jimmy Carter did and back out on us.Come to think this whole deal sounds just like Carters.

[danielle_mom]

My husband is taking me out tonight so we can avoid all of the hoopla. We will be doing the same next tuesday. The lack of choice has allowed us to talk about our business and how much both candidates look foolish. When Robin hood robbed from rich, he was taking back the money the rich took from the poor.

Obama''s plan will take from the rich that the rich earned.

[specialty8]

Obama is the modern day Robin Hood. We just ahve to change the name a little to make it work"Robing Hood".

[yeswecan09]

This is not the "change" America needs.

Reject Barack Obama.


Posted by OneAmerican7 at 02:24 PM : Oct 29, 2008
*******

The only thing we are rejecting is the way the GOP has run the government for the last 8 years. The insanity that has come to define the Republican party is coming to an end.

[yeswecan09]

Obama''''s plan will take from the rich that the rich earned.

Posted by danielle_mom at 02:40 PM : Oct 29, 2008
*****
So the rich will have to pay less taxes while a middle class family like mine will have to pay more?

No thanks, you can keep hoping that "trickle-down" economics might help you. Me, I prefer to see extra money in my paycheck and that can be done via Obama''s tax plan.

McCain wants to give a tax break to billionaires; Obama is giving a tax break to those who need it the most.

[specialty8]

Obama election plan is almost identical to Jimmy Carters. They must have used the same book.Jimmy promised to tax the rich and give tax credits to the middle class also. For some reason after Jimmy was in office for about six months it was all flushed down the drain and we know who paid for all of his tax and spend gifts. One good thing, he only lasted 4 yrs after people seen the ride he took us on.

[georgiadog8]

McSame is a reverse Robin Hood, he takes from the middle class and gives to the rich. Free Trade at any cost. Ready Fire Aim!

[strangeworld]

If the republican "trickle down" economics model that McCain (and bush) endorse would work, we would not now be suffering an economic meltdown in this country. There is a reason why the economy goes down the toilet whenever a republican is president - it''s because the GOP plan to give more money to the rich at the expense of the middle class has been proven repeatedly to do no good for anyone but the republicans wealthy big-business friends and campaign contributors. Until the republican party runs someone with "real" conservative values like Eisenhower again, I won''t bhe voting for them in any election.

[strangeworld]

It''s funny how McCain keeps stating that the rich need more money to create jobs in America, yet when given tax breaks and corporate welfare for the last eight years have taken the money and run to other countries, not helping the US economy at all. Under GOP rule, we''ve allowed big business to operate under what has been basically treasonous behavior - helping other countries at our expense. I guess that''s why greed and corruption seem to be the mainstay of modern republican politics. Vote out the GOP from the local courthouse to the Whitehouse...let them go home and get their act together.

[noloyalisti]

The ONLY thing that works for this country is a strong middle class, that is what Obama talks about constantly. Enriching the rich even mere which is what McSame talks about it is a known failure. Supply side and trickle down is a confirmed failure.

Jeese, I didn''''t hear any of you weak d!ck republicans complaining when you had the financial advantage.
What a bunch of whiners.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by johndevinejr at 03:25 PM : Oct 29, 2008

Hit that nail right on the head!

Drill Baby Drill!=OLD SCHOOL, OLD IDEAS, OLD THINKING.

It''s the only way these two are thinking, McCain has voted pro oil for years and if Palin voted anything besides oil and the welfare checks Alaskans get from it, she''s toast.
Stuck in the past with more of the same policies as well you guessed it George Bush.

[specialty8]

Obama and Ayers? To everyone out there that thinks this was just a pass by on the street then help me run for public office. Ayers had a fund raising rally in his personal home for Obama in 1995. I want to be an elected official also. How many of you Obama voters are going to hold a fund raiser for me in your own home unless you know me very well or we share the same veiws as I do? Obama set in the same church and listened to Rev. Wright for 20yrs. Now if you do not agree with his teachings why did it take 20yrs. to throw him under the bus. I could have figured him out within a few weeks. Anybody got a clue?

[specialty8]

Obama and Ayers? To everyone out there that thinks this was just a pass by on the street then help me run for public office. Ayers had a fund raising rally in his personal home for Obama in 1995. I want to be an elected official also. How many of you Obama voters are going to hold a fund raiser for me in your own home unless you know me very well or we share the same veiws as I do? Obama set in the same church and listened to Rev. Wright for 20yrs. Now if you do not agree with his teachings why did it take 20yrs. to throw him under the bus. I could have figured him out within a few weeks. Anybody got a clue?

Obama''''''''s plan will take from the rich that the rich earned.

Posted by danielle_mom at 02:40 PM : Oct 29, 2008
*****
So the rich will have to pay less taxes while a middle class family like mine will have to pay more?

No thanks, you can keep hoping that "trickle-down" economics might help you. Me, I prefer to see extra money in my paycheck and that can be done via Obama''''s tax plan.

McCain wants to give a tax break to billionaires; Obama is giving a tax break to those who need it the most.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by yeswecan09 at 02:57 PM : Oct 29, 2008

How about this WE including Corps all pay the same tax?

You cna hear it now from the Republicans. Oh no! That wouldn''t be fair!

Sadly Republicans do understand wellfare, it''s just a little reversed. Take form the poor or middle class give to the rich.

[likeitis5050]

More dangerous than either Obama or McCain are the democrats sharpening their teeth waiting for the election to favor Obama...Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Moore, and all the Democrats who sat and let the meltdown happen on their watch inspite of repeated warnings should be sent packing...actually they should be cooling their jets in jail right along with the corrupt Alaskan Senator...but booting them out is a start!!!

[georgiadog8]

McSame is a reverse Robin Hood, he takes from the middle class and gives to the rich. Free Trade at any cost. Ready Fire Aim!

[specialty8]

Free trade at any cost, If you rember Clinton is the One that signed NAFTA, not Bush.

[jonathanw20]

Where are Sarah Palin''s medical records? Is she hiding something? She has never cleared the prevailing rumor about Trig being Bristol''s child. There has also been strong suspicions of her being under the influence of drugs.

[specialty8]

I hope tonight when Obama gives another pep rally he tells the whole country what a great job he has done for the state of Illinios and Chicago. Lets see what he has done. Well at the moment I can''t think of anything but to say Chicago has well over 400 murders with 2 months left to go this year and the state is broke. Good Job Obama! No wonder they want you to leave office.And just think if elected all of this prosperity will be coming to your home town.

[steeepe]

Oil drilling in environmentally sensitive areas is stupid. First of all, the oil companies haven''t drilled where they have leases, and second, the oil will be sold on the open market and probably end up in China. McBush/Palin are lying, as is their custom, about how it would benefit us. Don''t believe anything they say. Like the Bush GOP, the truth is usually the exact opposite of their propaganda.

[briannorwood]

McCain has run a dishonorable campaign. Pathetic how this little man will stoop so low just to win an election.

His campaign motto ought to be "Me First".

Very sad.

[bill517]

"There''s a sucker born every minute." P.T.Barnum

[bill517]

"And just think if elected all of this prosperity will be coming to your home town."

Forget Chi-town. Think Caracas.

[specialty8]

Doogunner,
I was making referance to another post how this free trade was a McCain and Bush thing. This was a Clinton thing called NAFTA. I''m not voting for Bush,but I sure am not going to vote Obama, I have my doubts once the media gets off Palin if Obama last a whole term before the truth comes out.

[windmaster12]

Mccain, Bush, and the rest of the GOP-

Managed to take Clinton''''s surplus,
And 8 years later they replaced it with:

Bigger Gov''''t --
Though they promised Smaller Govt-

Greater Debt-
Though they promised fiscal responsibility-

The largest Trade Deficit in history-
Outsourcing millions of US jobs

Then they Pulled a Commie Chavez move
Nationalizing Fannie and Freddie
The Socialization of our Financial Institutions-
With Billions in tax payer paid bailouts-

Institutional Welfare for Wall Street Incompetents-

War in Iraq and Afghanistan
Costing us 10 Billion + a month
Ridicule throughout the world--

But they did give Tax breaks and incentives to:
The upper 3% -
To Big Oil,
And the GOP Defense Conglomerates--


The Choice is Astonishingly Clear---

VOTE GOP
VOTE MCSAME

CONTINUE THE BUSH LEGACY
FOUR MORE GLORIOUS YEARS
OF GOP BS

[strangeworld]

There shouldn''t be ant rhetoric...

McCain will continue the failed "trickle down" economics that has caused the current economic meltdown.

Obama will return the tax balance to the way that it was before bush took office, thereby returning money to the pockets of the middle class.

If you want to continue to funnel money to big-business as they expand in foreign countries, thereby taking jobs from American workers, vote McCain.

[specialty8]

Pelosilover,
For some reason I have not got back one single post on why Ayers would have a fund raiser for the choosen one in his own home unless they are very good freinds or share the same veiws. I''m going to run for public office, would you have a fund raiser in your living room for me,although you don''t know me, we just pass in the neighborhood once in a while.

[specialty8]

pelosilover,
Does this mean the fundraiser is on! I set in the church with the Rev Wright for 20 yrs. and got married but I threw him under the bus a few months ago. He was no influence on me. Do you think once the hounds get off Palin they will come after the choosen one?

[ahumbleopini]

If you really want to encourage job creation in the US, you should change the tax code to eliminate the deduction for salaries and replace it with a credit for each employee in the US plus an additional credit if you provide health care for your employees. That would make American workers more competitive with workers in China and India and get rid of the taxpayer subsidy for corporate executives%u2019 multimillion dollar compensation packages.

[notblue]

THe libs love to ignore facts, they think that the economic crisis was created over the last eight years when in FACT it was deregualtion over the last thirty years. The way they blame the Republicans one would have to think there hasn''t been a dem in congress forthe last thirty years while the FACT is there has been preety much an equal number of both for decades and the Dems have had more in both houses for the last two! YEt it is always the repubs fault here at leftwing central.

[windmaster12]

Country First?
Vietnam Vets against Traitor Mccain!!!

According to documentation obtained by the U.S. Veteran Dispatch, not only did POW McCain promise to give the communists "military information" in exchange for special hospital care not ordinarily available to U.S. prisoners, but he also made numerous antiwar radio broadcasts.

This is a violation of the Military Code of Conduct and is considered collaborating with the enemy.

The following is McCain''s own admission of collaboration in an article he wrote, printed May 14, 1973 in U.S. News and World Report:

"I think it was on the fourth day [after being shot down] that two guards came in, instead of one. One of them pulled back the blanket to show the other guard my injury. I looked at my knee. It was about the size, shape and color of a football. I remembered that when I was a flying instructor a fellow had ejected from his plane and broken his thigh. He had gone into shock, the blood had pooled in his leg, and he died, which came as quite a surprise to usa man dying of a broken leg.

Then I realized that a very similar thing was happening to me.

"When I saw it, I said to the guard, `O.K., get the officer.''

"An officer came in after a few minutes. It was the man that we came to know very well as `The Bug.'' He was a psychotic torturer, one of the worst fiends that we had to deal with. I said, `O.K., I''ll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital.''"

GOOGLE:

MCCAIN COLLABORATOR

[pta-mom-4-vp]

Biden takes Viagra and calls his willie Virginia!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by TheMasses1 at 05:03 PM
======================================================
SO classy and clever of you.....fool.

[dubya_luvr]

This is all so hilarious.

Screechy lies and libels from paid McCain bloggers. I hope you''re all wearing two layers of your adult diapers on the 4th....

[strangeworld]

Throughout this campaign, McCain has said very little about what he would do if elected president. He has spent all of his time on talking about why you shouldn''t vote for the other guy, but has given the American voter very little to seperate him from the current president. I believe that McCain has been bought and paid for by the bush Whitehouse...he''s not the same man that he was two years ago. In order to get the backing of big-business, he''s has to give up any honor that he once had and kiss the rear ends of the worst part of the republican party. If you''re elderly, you''d better think long and hard about casting a vote for someone like McCain who would tie your retirement income to the fleeting fortunes of Wall Street.

[rev_miesse]

-Biden takes Viagra and calls his willie Virginia!

Posted by TheMasses1 at 05:03 PM : Oct 29, 2008

You would know this because Biden has been all up in Mrs. TheMasses1.

[noloyalisti]

But what is God''s name is McSame promising to do for the middle class and working people. Just give me one good thing he has done for your family. Just one.

[shaggydo-2009]

Is it all rhetoric, or about real experiences, actual past records, life-time government-achievements, qualifiation, job-resume and readiness?? Can we afford an on-the-job-training Commander-in-Chief, with questionable past history and ties to ACORN, Rashid Khalidi, Louis Farrakhan, Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, in a dangerous world? American voters are smarter than that.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by LDVUONG at 03:42 PM : Oct 29, 2008

All of the candidates will be getting on the job training. McCain has no executive experience and neither does palin or Biden. So enough with the "no experience" rhetorical schtick. And as far as tie ins go two names are enough to equal the all the bad guy associations for Obama put together and those names are bush and cheney who are the crookedest lying terrorists since hitler and stalin.

[rev_miesse]

Posted by TheMasses1 at 05:03 PM : Oct 29, 2008

Biden says Mrs. TheMasses1 is pretty good once he gets past the used part.

[specialty8]

Lets face it people, Obama is Jimmy Carter the second.Their agenda sounds the same. It must have came out of the same book. Free this and free that. As with Jimmy we all know who paid for it. Like Abe Lincoln said, "you can''t drag a man out of the hole by giving him handouts". I guess Al and Jessie are looking for work right now because the excuses are over. If Obama can do it anybody can.

[dubya_luvr]

barry obama= liar
Posted by wimpleman at 05:13 PM : Oct 29, 2008

Wow, there''s an intelligent statement. Try this math:

(America - (Carbou Barbie + Mcsame)) = America^2