DOVER, New Hampshire (CNN) – On the first day of what his campaign called the “final stretch,” Barack Obama hammered at John McCain, and repeatedly linked him to President Bush’s policies.
“We can’t afford four more years of what George Bush and John McCain consider progress,” he said at a town hall not far from Portsmouth. “We can’t afford another President who is so out of touch that they think the economy is strong right now and promises to the exact same thing we’ve been doing for the last eight years.”
The Obama campaign seized on a comment from Thursday night’s forum in New York where McCain said it was “easy” for him to become “somewhat divorced from the day-to-day challenges people have” while in Washington.
“Maybe from where he and George Bush sit, maybe things do look fundamentally sound,” Obama said after repeating McCain’s quote and eliciting some groans from the audience. “Maybe they don’t see what’s taking place. Maybe they’re that out of touch. But I do see what’s going on and so do you.”
Even as Obama goes on the offensive against McCain in these final weeks, he has spent time defending his own campaign, reassuring voters that the recent “lipstick” story, spike in enthusiasm for the GOP ticket, and serious up-tick in negative ads does not mean his presidential effort is off-message or floundering.
At a New Hampshire town hall Friday, a man stood and asked Obama, “when and how” was he “going to start fighting back against attack ads and smear campaigns.”
“I know there are a lot of Democrats, and some Independents and some Republicans who really want change who start getting nervous because they’ve seen this movie before every four years. Right? You have ads that are being just fabricated, they’re just made up. And lies – that’s the word I was looking for,” said Obama.
“Here’s what I can guarantee you: that we are going to be hitting back hard – we have been hitting back hard but …I’m not going to start making up lies about John McCain … we’re going to make sure that anything that is out there that we are immediately responding to. But this election is too important, it’s too serious to be playing silly games.”
The Democratic nominee also pledged that families making less than $250,000 a year would not see any type of tax increase should he become president.
From CNN Politics
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It's the old saying that the pot is calling the kettle black (and that's not a racial thing.) There's all the usual exaggerations and half truths coming out of both camps. Neither side should claim the higher moral ground since they're both throwing mud.
Change, reform, hope, etc. are just empty words unless there's something behind them and, based on Obama's record here in Illinois, there's not much behind his. He never bucked the Democratic party in 8 years in the Illinois Senate which leads me to believe he either doesn't really have an independently formed ideas or that he doesn't have the conviction to fight for them.
(Dear Moderators, This comments forum would be much more meaningful if some of the ranks were disallowed so more civil, reasoned comments could appear.)
Did you hear Palin slamming Putin? This wacko should scare you to death. If you think an administration is going to make a better standing in the world for us, by starting off like this, you need your head examined.
What a true inspiration!! Obama will win!! NO MORE REPUBLICANS !!!!
Vote Obama/Biden !!
In McCaiins add he brags that Maverick Sarah Palin toke on the oil companies and gave money back to the citizens of Alaska
Isn't that a wind fall profit tax " which he said was pandering and a bad idea.
And what about that so called Tax holiday that he promised for the summer,he knew he did not have the power to give that tax but he still promised it
Yestersday in a interveiw when asked about Sarah Palins foreign policy experience he said "Energy".
It's too bad that Mr. Straight Talk's power greater than himself doesn't inflict him with a Pinnochio like punishment for the lies that he told on the View today as his nose would be very, very long. He is not to be trusted if he can't tell the truth about his ads or those Ear Marks that Palin has taken and wants more of in the future.
The McCain/Palin ticket is the one of the greatest spinmasters I have ever witnessed. Not only do they tell half truths but they stick to the story even when the lies are exposed. Sold the bridge on ebay- no the bridge did not sell on ebay and was sold at a loss, was against the bridge to nowhere-no supported the bridge until Congress pulled the funding but kept the money, against earmarks-no received 27 million in earmarks for a town with a population of less than 9000, and my personal favorite: the Bush Doctrine is his world view- no it's not. Many people may not know what the Bush Doctrine is but you would expect someone who would be one heartbeat away from the oval office to know what the Bush Doctrine says. That's like saying you have foreign policy experience because you live next to a foreign company and in some places you can see actually see that country's land. Oh wait, she said that last night. As a Christian I was taught that a lie of omission is still a lie. You'd think they'd know that already.
Go Obama/Biden
Obama went to 500 sermons over 20 years by Jeremiah Wright amd Wright was his spiritual advisor yet he claims he never has heard Wright use the racist anti-white and anti-American language that was so much in the news. Then he makes a suspicious house deal with his major contributor and backer who ended up a convicted felon and Obama claims there was no wrongdoing. So who is lying.
mccain is just pointing out obama's lack of experience, and calling attention to the stupid votes he made, when not voting present over 130 times. the media is pouncing on gov. palins every move. obama the gop isn't your loving media, and are just making americans aware of your many shortcomings. mccain/palin 08, hillary 2012!
osama please call Ellen or Oprah and maybe Dr. Phil
They may help you with your crying jag
Get real and pull up your socks. No real man cries and whines.
You are a whiner
Wake up America. Osama is lying about McCain every day
Isn't this such a great country? We can have 2 people running for the highest office and 1 of them is making up lies and false accusations like a 2nd grade bully would do? Now that is what I call democracy.
Read Paul Krugman's Blizzard of Lies in the New York Times. He puts it more succintly than any other journalist. McCain needs to come up with some other lines – other than the ones that have already been debunked by the mainstream (non FOX news) press.
If it swim like a duck, walk like a duck etc.... you get it! The RNC has lied on the DNC for ever we all know that ... America needs to wake up and call RNC ducks!!!
DLH, Please check your resources. He said 57 states and caucuses. So you have nothing to be scary about.
Today on the VIEW McCain flatout lied about Palin and earmarks in Alaska. Flat out LIED. They playing you for fools, America. Wake up before its too late.
To Ken in LA,
This isn't over. George W was elected to a second term. Think about that.
Also, I think it's weird that the Republicans are stealing every single strategy from the Democratic playbook and it goes by unnoticed. There should be a set of rules and one of them should be Come up with your own material.
Wendy stick in oh Canada and let us continue to protect you like i do my kids!
The View was so good.
The View ladies would have made anyone proud. They asked legitimate questions of the biggest phony on the planet, John McSame.
O/B 08
I am so sick and tired of John macin and brack obama.they are both not addressing the issues.the terrible thing is neither one of them will delivere what they saids. I can't wait untill november get here,I am sick of this maddness!! Houston ,Texas
Shouldn't this headline read: "Ads against Obama are fabricated and lies" or am i missing something?
The ads really are shameful...I mean, just flat out dishonest. And these people claim to be the party of family values.
It's amazing to me that anyone who heard Palin's response to Charles Gibson's foreign policy questions could be anything less than terrified at the prospect of having her in the executive office. She sounded both unprepared – like when she talks about Iraq (clearly parroting what she has been "tutored" to say), and at times, when her own ideas came through, like an absolute zealot (Israel). She and McCain seem to be running on a platform that flat-out denies the complicated realities of foreign policies today. And for Americans who don't know any better, they are willing to treat our foreign policy as if it were as simplistic as a football game – the home team against the "others"
Did McCain really put country first when he decided this woman should be a heartbeat away from the presidency, from being our commander in chief?
cnn don't keep me in moderation please!!
McCain ought to be ashamed of himself. Those ads are despicable. If he's such a Maverick, why is he using the same strategies as his predecessor Bush. Just Shameful! I can't understand for the life of me why this race is so darn close!
Let me be the first to say that Palin is a pig, without the lipstick.
Obama/Biden 08
Cry me a river, cry me a river
Oh no, we can all cry a river
Except the the 40% who don't pay taxes- they'll get refundable tax credits
Universal healthcare ... that will make the mortgage industry bail out, (the experiment in federallly sponsored socialism), look like the sponsorship of a county fair.
Foreign policy ,,, CARBON OFFSETS paid to Foreign nations as compensation for USA pollution violations
Immigration policy ... what immigration policy, open the doors, let's party on someone else's dime
Language ... Required SPANISH as a Second language
look for monthly update on words banned for percieved racial slurs... will that include; n -word,, 'spic'. 'wop' ?
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER?
, see these are just a few of his favorite things
Lets hope Palin is elected. She can protect us from big bad Russia. She can see it our of her kitchen window afterall!! lol
Who knew the View would do a job that the media should be doing. Kudos ladies, you made me proud.j
Proud Momma