Democratic presidential nominee Obama reunited with running-mate Joe Biden in Greensboro, North Carolina, where they highlighted the fact that the Republican candidate didn't once use the term ``middle class' during last night's debate, which focused on the economy and foreign policy.
``We talked about the economy for 40 minutes, and not once did Senator McCain talk about the struggles of middle-class families,' Obama told the 20,000 person crowd at an outdoor rally. ``Senator McCain just doesn't get it.'
Obama delivered largely the same speech this evening in Fredericksburg, Virginia where, alongside Biden, the Illinois senator spoke for 27 minutes in the pouring rain, only stopping for a moment to roll up his sleeves and take off his suit jacket as the rains increased.
Quick on his feet, Obama incorporated a number of weather puns and metaphors into the economic stump speech he's been delivering this week. He acknowledged the rain even as the seemingly oblivious and captivated 26,000 drenched students and locals at the University of Mary Washington stayed and cheered through the remarks.
`Trickle Down'
Mocking McCain for his trickle-down economic theories, Obama joked that the Arizona senator thinks that ``prosperity is going to trickle down, like this shower here, like manna from heaven.'
Obama began by thanking the crowd, who had been standing and waiting in earlier rain showers, for his arrival. He dangled a special, albeit brief, offer for ``those of you who were wearing that special outfit.'
``I'd like to cover everybody's dry cleaning bills tonight,' Obama deadpanned. ``But I can't, because I've got to use it on the campaign, so consider it one more modest contribution to our efforts to change the country.'
Obama today also spoke with Paulson, House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who updated him on the progress of talks on a White House proposal to buy bad debts of financial companies to unfreeze credit markets.
The Illinois senator at the rally reiterated four principles he wants included in a final agreement: curbs on executive pay, an independent oversight board, aid for struggling homeowners and a provision to give taxpayers a share of any profit from the purchase and subsequent sale of distressed assets.
Montana Bears
McCain ``railed against some study on bears in Montana,' Obama said. ``But he had nothing to say about the fact that more and more Americans can't afford to pay for their college education, can't afford health care for their families, can't afford a retirement that is dignified and secure.'
Obama Wins Polls
``We hope to have a deal in place so we can get back on the trail,' Salter said. That could be as early as Monday morning.
Polls by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. and CBS News/Knowledge Networks found Obama bested McCain in the debate. The CNN telephone poll of 524 adults who watched the debate found 51 percent said Obama did the best job, while 38 percent said McCain did.
The CBS online poll of 483 uncommitted voters found 39 percent said Obama won, 24 percent said McCain did, and 37 percent said it was a tie. The CNN poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, while the CBS survey's margin of error is 4 percentage points.
Both campaigns today tried capitalizing on the debate, releasing ads about what their rivals did or didn't say. A new Obama ad that will air on national cable television beginning Sept. 29 is called ``Zero,' and notes the number of times McCain mentioned ``middle class.' |
