Fri, Jul 03, 2009
Barack Obama, greeting supporters at a rally in Las Vegas, says it's too late for John McCain to portray himself as independent from President Bush.
Jae C. Hong / the associated press

Nation

Obama: McCain futilely trying to distance himself from Bush

The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.26.2008
Scrambling to win the West, Democrat Barack Obama mocked John McCain on Saturday for aggressively trying to distance himself from President Bush.
The financially flush Obama campaign also unveiled a two-minute TV ad that asks, "Will our country be better off four years from now?" The length of the ad, which will air in key states, highlights Obama's fundraising superiority — most campaign commercials run 30 seconds or a minute.
Obama continued to ridicule McCain for distancing himself from the president.
"John McCain attacking George Bush for his out-of-hand economic policy is like Dick Cheney attacking George Bush for his go-it-alone foreign policy," Obama said. The Democrat said Bush must not mind the criticism, because this past week Bush cast his vote early — for McCain.
Ten days before the election, both candidates were targeting the same trio of states — Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. Any of them could help shape who wins the presidency.
Obama said it was too late for McCain to portray himself as independent from Bush after standing with him for years. McCain has a mixed record of supporting and bucking Bush.
Real change, Obama said, is "not somebody who's trying to break with his president over the last 10 days after having supporting him for the last eight years."
Obama, meanwhile, continued to use his massive fundraising appeal to his advantage.
The new Obama ad is scheduled to begin running today. It promotes Obama's economic policies while saying the Democrat will work to end "mindless partisanship" and "divisiveness."
There was a glitch for Obama in Reno, Nev., though. A generator at his rally apparently failed, killing power and cutting off his microphone. Obama said the McCain campaign may have pulled the plug on the rally — but added he was kidding.
Obama devoted most of the speech to national issues, but also addressed the Nevada issue of renewable energy, as well as the state's highest-in-the-nation foreclosure rate.
"I'll act quickly to help people stay in their homes, something that's especially critical here in Nevada where foreclosure rates are five times the national average," he said. "I'll help responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages on affordable terms, and put in place a three-month moratorium on foreclosures to give folks the breathing room they need to get back on their feet."
Obama resumed his campaign after spending Thursday night and Friday in Hawaii with his grandmother, who is gravely ill.
Election
2008