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.

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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.

[targaray-2009]

- REPUBLICAN MORONS SPEWING TOXIC NONSENSE AND TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT HATRED -

- STOP THE MADNESS - VOTE FOR CHANGE - 2008

[lionheart64]

The destroy-by-association tactics used by a politicians lately are despicable, insulting, and just won%u2019t work, at least not on anyone who has claim to a few ounces of common sense. For one thing, they come across exactly for what they are, desperate acts by desperate people. Not only that, but they considerably lower the respectability level of those who employ them.

Elizabeth Dole%u2019s recent ad is by far the most damming. Not to her opponent, but to herself. For those who hold their Christianity up high in view, for everyone to see, to perhaps one day %u201Cconvert%u201D them to the cause of Christ, to these people I say, you should become more Christ-like and less Christian. Did not Christ himself pal around with sinners? Prostitutes and thieves, the very scum of the earth. He talked with them, ate with them, yet he did not become one of them. He actually preferred their company to that of hypocrites, people who tried to make themselves way more important than they were. Does this sound familiar?

Politicians, please stop using God as a weapon. And stop wallowing in your Christianity as if someone is persecuting you for it. Instead, become Christ-like. You must realize that it is your actions that speak volumes, not your words. And certainly not your insinuations and your obscure attempts to somehow preserve God%u2019s dignity. God doesn%u2019t need your help. God only wants you to love, even and especially, the person whom you are running against.

[anya136]

This has been the most closely watched election in history. Why? because its a choice between fear and hope, same old stuff, or transformation.

We''ve heard the candidates, we know what their policy promises are. We''ve seen their characters in action. One side has smeared the other sides personal character, with everything it could think of, one thing after another. The other side has stuck mainly to policy arguments. Tough ones, sometimes exaggerated and unfair, but focussed on policy.

So here we are. Ive made my choice. I''m endorsing Barack Obama.

[slayrre007]

This country is pathetic. How can anyone with a brain vote for the anti-American and anti-Constitution hypocrite Barack Obama.

If anyone of you had a child who consistently hung around extremely bad influences.... you would DEFINATELY NOT reward your child. Yet... you same idiots are willing to overlook the horrendous people Barack has accepted into his life both personally, politically, and spiritually because you don%u2019t like the economy and are too stupid to look past the political RHETORIC that has been spoken by every politician since the beginning of time... "I will bring Change"... are you f''''n kidding me...???

I dare anyone of you Barack cool-aid drinking idiots.... to show me significant evidence that he has done ANYTHING in his brief political career to back up the CHANGES his mouth has been spouting off since the start of the primaries.

The guy is a fraud and the pied piper of lies... and so many stupid people in this country are willing to close their eyes and follow his music. Not surprised considering this country was stupid enough to LISTEN and then VOTE George W Bush into office TWICE!

NO experience managing an economy on any level, NO foreign policy experience, and very questionable allegiances... so lets make him President! HAHAHAHA.....

[misha128-2009]

Posted by garyjames53 at 01:41 AM

You addressed Rashid Khalidi a McCain / Palin trumped up terrorist. In this case Senator McCain led an organization that provided their alleged terrorist Rashid Khalidi 1/2 a million dollars to support his efforts. Does the McCain campaign enjoy shooting itself in the foot?

[garyjames53]

TALK IS CHEAP AND ALL WE HEARD WAS MORE TALK FROM OBAMA.

Since Obama has voted 130 times present we cannot have a full view of who he is without looking not only at his record but who he associates with.

Obama praised Rashid Khalidi - Palestinian PLO promoter, who has radical views on Israel.
Obama endorsed a book in 2001 for William Ayers who is a self proclaimed Marxist and still as of 2001 proud of being a terrorist.

Obama said William Wright was a good friend, mentor and pastor for 20 years yet Wright preaches Liberation Theology which Wright admits is based on Marxism.

His mentor as a young man from his book - Yup you guessed it Marxist.
"To each according to their ability to each according
to their need" - Karl Marx

"We need to redistribute the wealth..." Obama has an undeniable lifetime pattern of Socialism.

SOCIALISM = LESS JOBS (check out Europe%u2019s unemployment rate) GOVERNMENTS DO NOT CREATE WEALTH... INOVATORS DO.

http://www.bornalivetruth.org/ - Obama believes in allowing born alive children to die if they are not wanted.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5042571.ece - Poor Aunt of Obama found in Boston Slum. Will you end up in a slum if Obama is elected???

http://www.hypemovie.com/index.html - Great 1 hour movie that shows that Obama is the greatest speaker but has no character and no substance and no record to back up what he says.

[mcfinished]

NEEDERBAUR at 12:33 AM : Oct 30, 2008:

Do you actually believe the crud that you post?

You do realize that the statements you''ve posted have been proven false?

Are you really that stupid that you wouldn''t check for yourself the validity of the claims you''ve made?

I guess you are that stupid.

[nearl4511]

Needertroll, you really aren''t human are you?

You obviously can''t think but only rant. Cite for me John McCain''s plan to restore the economy again?

Yeah, I thought not.

[nearl4511]

Yeah, it is funny that every "terrorist" boogeyman that the McCain campaign puffs up, seems to have been beneficiary of......McCain? Ayers through the Annenbergs and now the new fellow directly.

Epitome of Hypocritical.

[misha128-2009]

McCain took money from the same people that financed the Annenberg Challenge. The Annenbergs have a US Ambassador in their family. By your argument, and your argument alone, McCain takes money from people that support terrorists.

Posted by misha128 at 12:00 AM : Oct 30, 2008

Wrong,The Annenbergs did a lot of good, they donated to alot of worthy cause.

...

Posted by doctor--cool at 12:10 AM

The remainder of your response and previous posts claim Ayers work was not reputable I have seen the report of the commission and can find no concurrence with your assertions that the Annenbergs subsidized subversive actions of Mr Ayers or anyone else associated with the Annenberg Challenge.

Perhaps you would care to address Rashid Khalidi another of the McCain / Palin trumped up terrorists. Unlike the contributions from your alleged terrorist sympathizing Annenbergs in this case Senator McCain led an organization that provided their other alleged terrorist Rashid Khalidi 1/2 a million dollars to support his efforts.

Therefore, By your assertions of the Annenbergs and the McCain / Palin assertions about Khalidi we can conclude McCain takes contributions from terrorist sympathizers and provides funding to people he considers terrorists. Does the McCain campaign enjoy shooting itself in the foot? If not; why do they persist in the behavior?

[nearl4511]

Funny thing about people quoting Obama''s books. They obviously have not read them.

Chris Buckley HAS read them.....and is one convervative endorsing Obama.

It''s easy to drag out a phrase or sentence or two. A little more effort to understand a theme; even more difficult to become an author (without a co-writer by the way).

[misha128-2009]

How in the Hell did Obama get mixed up with Ayers

Posted by doctor--cool at 12:01 AM

Because McCain Supporters the Annenbergs paid to support the Annenberg Challenge to improve Chicago schools along with several esteemed conservatives on the commission. Fro the resulting report which I have read all that worked on the project should be acknowledged for their contributions to education in Chicago. Instead of being the object of trumped up McCain / Palin lies.

[misha128-2009]

Annenberg was a benefactor that donated money to help schools,

Don''''t let me tell you about it. It is easy to look up.

Although their is another issue about whether the money was used properly. And KNOWING Ayers the money could have been used to teach children to overthrow the goverment.

Do you know what AYERS said after he got of on a technicality......... This is a quote from Ayers to Children,,.

Go home and kill your parents

Did you get that, do some research

Posted by doctor--cool at 11:49 PM

McCain took money from the same people that financed the Annenberg Challenge. The Annenbergs have a US Ambassador in their family. By your argument, and your argument alone, McCain takes money from people that support terrorists.

[misha128-2009]

Posted by doctor--cool at 11:39 PM

We each believe what we want; I find the written statement you originally cited as more credible.

[misha128-2009]

Posted by doctor--cool at 11:26 PM

McCain took money from the same people that financed the Annenberg Challenge. The Annenbergs have a US Ambassador in their family. By your argument, and your argument alone, McCain takes money from people that support terrorists.

[misha128-2009]

The written statement has a known source -- prove the you tube video was not edited -- not possible.

When it comes to hiding things where are the Gov Palin''''''''''''''''s medical records; She promised to produce them a week ago? Was that just another McCain / Palin lie?

Posted by misha128 at 11:06 PM

Posted by misha128 at 11:19 PM : Oct 29, 2008


Did you play the tape any fool can tell if the tape was edited

Posted by doctor--cool at 11:28 PM

Sure if it as done on a PC.

[misha128-2009]

The written statement has a known source -- prove the you tube video was not edited -- not possible.

When it comes to hiding things where are the Gov Palin''''s medical records; She promised to produce them a week ago? Was that just another McCain / Palin lie?

Posted by misha128 at 11:06 PM

[ajmarine111]

If Obamas elected, I will support him

Posted by doctor--cool at 11:18 PM : Oct 29, 2008



I too will support whoever is elected President of the United States.

[ajmarine111]

doctor--cool, misha128


Obama''s Rev knows him better than anyone and he said"Obama will say what a politcian has to say"


He is just like any other politician.

[misha128-2009]

Check with doctor--cool it was a written statement.

Posted by misha128 at 11:00 PM : Oct 29, 2008

OK I''''ll go listen again at


Go to youtube and search________
Obama Breaks His Promise On Public Financing


Watch and you can hear the words come out of Obama mouth,

Posted by doctor--cool at 11:09 PM

I''ve already seen the written statement you already admitted was the source thank you.