McCain, Obama Battle On Final Weekend

Canvassers And Volunteers Spread Across Country As Republican Pushes For Upset And Democrat Campaigns In Bush States

(CBS/AP)  Warmed by the cheers of thousands, John McCain and Barack Obama plunged through the final weekend of their marathon race for the White House, the Republican digging for an upset while his confident-sounding rival told supporters, "We can change this country."

"Yes we can," he added, his slogan across 21 months of campaigning.

Both candidates were backed by legions of surrogate campaigners, door to door canvassers and volunteers at phone banks scattered across the country as they made their final rounds Saturday in a race that carried a price tag estimated at $2 billion.

Obama, ahead in the polls, maintained his stride despite news that an aunt from Kenya, Zeituni Onyango, lives in the U.S. illegally. The Democratic candidate "has no knowledge of her status but obviously believes that any and all appropriate laws be followed," said a written statement given to The Associated Press.

Campaign strategist David Axelrod added, "I think people are suspicious about stories that surface in the last 72 hours of a national campaign."

McCain made no mention of Obama's relative, but he worried aloud about the consequences of Democrats winning the White House while maintaining control of Congress. He warned of an agenda that "apparently ... starts with lowering our defenses and raising our taxes."

He contended that Obama was "running for redistributor in chief, I'm running for commander-in-chief."

The Republican spent much of the day in Virginia, trying to make up ground in a state that has not voted Democratic since 1964 but leans that way now. "We're a few points down but we're coming back," he said. "I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it and you're going to fight with me." (Read more on the race in Virginia)

On Sunday and Monday, the last two days before election day, McCain will campaign in nine battleground states, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid. Of those, seven voted for George W. Bush in 2004; only Pennsylvania and New Hampshire did not.

In Wyoming today, Vice President Dick Cheney said McCain is "the right leader for this moment in history."

"John is a man who understands the danger facing America," Cheney said. "He’s a man who has looked into the face of evil and not flinched. He’s a man who’s comfortable with responsibility and has been since he joined the armed forces at the age of 17. He’s earned our support and confidence, and the time is now to make him commander-in-chief."

Obama's referenced Cheney's comments at an appearance in Pueblo, Colorado late this afternoon.

"I’d like to congratulate Senator McCain on this endorsement because he really earned it," Obama said, according to prepared remarks. "That endorsement didn’t come easy. Senator McCain had to vote 90 percent of the time with George Bush and Dick Cheney to get it. He served as Washington’s biggest cheerleader for going to war in Iraq, and supports economic policies that are no different from the last eight years. So Senator McCain worked hard to get Dick Cheney’s support."

Obama was in Nevada, then Colorado and Missouri today, all states that voted for President Bush four years ago.

"We have a righteous wind at our back," he told one audience.

In Nevada, a state hard-hit by the a mountain of foreclosures, Obama pounded away on his economic message, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds. Roughly a third of the 1.2 million registered voters in the state have already cast ballots - a potential positive for the Obama campaign, according to the latest CBS News poll on early voting trends.

A recent CBS News/New York Times poll, released on Thursday, showed Obama ahead 52 percent to 41 percent.

But the McCain campaign is pointing to a new Associated Press poll showing that one out of seven voters have yet to make up their minds.

CBS News' John Bentley reports that McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, sent out a memo to supporters and the press outlining their path to 270 electoral votes, which includes their hope that they can persuade a large number of undecided voters.

Referring to the AP poll, Davis wrote: "That means, if 130 million voters turn out on Tuesday, 18.5 million of them have yet to make up their mind." (Read more in From The Road)

McCain's hopes of an upset hinged on winning all or nearly all the states that carried Bush to victory in 2004, and possibly carrying Pennsylvania to give him a margin for error.

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Apart from the presidential campaign, Democrats confidently predicted they would add to their majorities in the House and Senate.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was in a close and costly battle for re-election.

But so was Democratic Rep. John Murtha, several days after describing his southwestern Pennsylvania constituents as racists. Democrats arranged for former President Clinton to campaign for the anti-war lawmaker in hopes of saving his seat.

Bush was nowhere near the campaign crowds as the election neared, and McCain wouldn't have it any other way, given low presidential approval ratings.

Like Obama and McCain, the vice presidential running mates campaigned toward the finish line.

Sen. Joe Biden was in Indiana, another traditionally Republican state where Democrats are running hard. He accused Republicans of "trying to take the low road to the highest office in the land. They are calling Barack Obama every name in the book."

Republican Sarah Palin, in New Port Richey, Fla., said Biden had it backwards - it was the Democrats who were resorting to unseemly tactics.

"Barack Obama goes around promising a new kind of politics, then he comes here to Florida and tries to exploit the fears and worries about Social Security and Medicare for retirees, and that's the oldest and cheapest kind of politics there is," she said.

The rhetorical flourishes were merely the most visible aspect of the late-campaign effort.

McCain's campaign said it was reaching more voters than Bush's re-election campaign did at this point four years ago, more than one million a day. Volunteers in reliably Republican states like Utah were bused to nearby battlegrounds like Nevada.

Democrats had a similar plan. Volunteers in Maryland were told they were needed in Virginia.

Early voting statistics were large, and tilted Democratic. In North Carolina, officials said 2.3 million ballots had been cast as of Saturday morning, 52 percent of them by Democrats and 30 percent by Republicans.

In Missouri, spokesman Justin Hamilton said Obama's campaign had agreements with cab companies across the state to provide Election Day rides to the polls for any voter who wanted one.

He said the callers would not be asked how they intended to vote.

[neederbaur]

THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LOVE THIS COUNTRY.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z
HAFmFsb9XMI WANT TO SEE U.S. MARSHAL''S RAID ALL ACORN OFFICES.FRAUD IS FRAUD.From Dreams of My Father: "I ceased to advertise my mother''s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

From Dreams of My Father: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother''s race."

From Dreams of My Father: "There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white."

From Dreams of My Father"It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."

From Dreams of My Father: "I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn''t speak to my own. It was into my father''s image, the black man, son of Africa, that I''d packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, Dubois and Mandela."

From Audacity of Hope: "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

[neederbaur]

From Dreams of My Father: "I ceased to advertise my mother''s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

From Dreams of My Father: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother''s race."

From Dreams of My Father: "There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white."

From Dreams of My Father: ; "It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."

From Dreams of My Father: "I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn''t speak to my own. It was into my father''s image, the black man, son of Africa, that I''d packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, Dubois and Mandela."

From Audacity of Hope: "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

[flagirl001]

Have you guys reported on Obama''s illegal alien aunt living off of taxpayer money in public housing?

[gotravel1]

Everyone needs to go to www.drudgereport.com today to follow a link to newsbusters.org on an interview that Obama gave in Jan,2008 which never surfaced where he states his desire to raise the caps on the coal industry so high that it will bankrupt the industry!He doesn''t want to drill,is against nuclear,wants to bankrupt the coal industry,so I guess he wants us to be held hostage to foreign oil!

[fulghum2]

VOTE FOR LIFE!!

JOHN MCCAIN.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

''twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
''tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

The lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we''ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We''ve no less days to sing god''s praise
Than when we''ve first begun.

[gotravel1]

Why did Obama fly to Kenya in 2006 to support the radical Odinga?Google Obama/Odinga to learn about the man he supported-his supporters raped and murdered when they lost the elecetion and were supported by radical muslims!Yet another stellar Obama friend.

[gotravel1]

Ironic,isn''t it,that Obama wants us to be our brother''s keeper,and "spread the wealth around" when his aunt is living in a project in Boston,and Obama syas he didn''t know she was here(even though she attended his Senate swearing in),and his half-brother in Kenya lives on $1.00 a month.Why hasn''t Obama been spreading his wealth around?

[sallievoter]

roy, guess you have no problem with the adulter Mccains, the secessionist palins, the illegit palin kids, the BAD secret palin''s medical records are hiding, the Keating scandal that starred mccain, the ethics scandal that starred palin....etc. etc. etc.

And NO problem either with the 6,500 ILLEGAL donors to Mccain''s campaign? What an interesting set of values you have.

[sallievoter]

Mccain has taken every step he could to LOSE this election. And all the MASS HYSTERIA about Obama is ...well....sad. It is really sad that Obama haters think he is some kind of God who can rule us all.....Bush didn''t do too well with that concept, now did he? So it is the radical HYSTERCAL leftovers of the GOP who are actually elevating Obama to this mythical power....the rest of us will be electing Obama because he has the temperament and the experience and the energy to make our country better.....but you ranting extremist GOP folks and your hysteria can keep obsessing over Obama''s "power" while the rest of us get on with our futures...and with reality. Join us...you''ll find that reality is so much better than hysterical delusions.

[dibs977]

Don''t hold back!!!
This economic melt down is a prime example that Republicans are good at winning elections but *** at leading. First of all, they hate government and wish to see it fail. According to "How Republicans Rule," they place incompetent people is Federal positions so they will fail. "The best bureaucrat is the worst one." The Fox guarding the chicken coup. This current financial crises is a direct result of that philosophy. They news media keep stating, "The regulators were asleep at the wheel." NOOOO. They were doing what they want to happen let government fail so they can privatize everything. Except the worst has happened, now the Fed Gov need to step in an even greater way to save the Western World as we know it. with even money. Vote Obama and save us!

[hroams]

I loved the young man who was head of the young Republicans at a major (eliteist) university in the East who admitted they had not made any attempt to sign up/register new voters, all they do is contact and solicit registered Republican voters to ensure that they all vote and vote for McCain, in other words loyalty to the GOP is the only concern.

[hroams]

Republicans made much hay out of a video that purportedly shows Obama attending a party where Palestinian, and Columbia University Professor, Rashid Khalidi was also a guest.

This is the same person that an organization that John McCain is a board member of donated $486,000 to enable him to help the Palestinian cause.Of course John''s excuse is the the same as Ronnie''s "I don''t recall that activity".

[hroams]

McCain''s campaign said it was reaching more voters than Bush''s re-election campaign did at this point four years ago, more than one million a day. Volunteers in reliably Republican states like Utah were bused to nearby battlegrounds like Nevada.!!

Most likely the McCain campaign is getting GOP officials in Nevada to issue voter registrations to the Utah residents so they could vote in Nevada while they were there. You know the GOP voter registration slogan "Vote early and often in the presidential election"

[truthspeake2]

Its doubtful that McSame will even carry his own home state which will speak volumes about his candidacy...Obama/Biden 2008!

[hroams]

John and Sarah in love with Joe the Plumber, my question is can he get to work on time?(He couldnt make it to a McCain campaign event, evidenced by McCain idiotically calling for Joe the Plumber over and over on national TV. Probably the problem was that the campaign had not put the payment for the appearance into his hand in cash), he did show up at another one so I assume the campaign got him the money necessary to ensure his appearance on time. My question is why isn''t he serving his country in Iraq or Afghanistan instead of loafing around political campaigns??

[nookreader]

Did everyone hear Palin fall for the prank of thinking she was talking to French President Sarkozy last week.
Here it is........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNhA9W9IgFc

A sad example of both Palin''s intelligence and McCian''s judgement for picking her.

[hroams]

JOhn was/is the perenial frat boy just like "W", when he was 40 his ex wife said I wanted a 40 yr old man/husband willing to accept responsibility of a family. John wanted to be 25 and and playboy.!!!

[hroams]

HROAMS.... Also when he came back from the Hanoi Hilton he was never charged for giving up imformation to the enemy like his fellow prisoners were.
Posted by obiden08 at 09:11 AM : Nov 02, 2008

That is correct. And to show the difference enlisted men in Korean POW camps were courtmartialed for doing the exact same thing as McCain, the difference was they didn''t have a military family with connections all the way to the Pentagon. He violated the UCMJ on 32 occasions yet walked away without penalty.I can say that I think the Navy did recognize his problems to some extent as they never gave him a command or promote him to admiral. They felt that he probably had what we now call PTSD and should not be in command of troops/units. He received only minimum awards, while James Stockdale received the CMH for his conduct in the POW camp.

[misha128-2009]

Posted by MIpapaof4 at 09:09 AM

WHO COMMANDS ALL FORCES ON ACTIVE DUTY IN DEFENSE OF THIS COUNTRY --

THE PRESIDENT.

[MIpapaof4]

Question: What is Americas first line of missile interceptor defense that protects the entire United States?

Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.

Question: What is the ONLY National Guard unit on permanent active duty?

Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.

Question: Who is the Commander in Chief of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard?

Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska

Question: What U.S. governor is routinely briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counter terrorism?

Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska

Question: What U.S. governor has a higher classified security rating than either candidate of the Democratic Party?

Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska

Oh, I thought she was just a hockey mom.

No brag, just a fact to ponder