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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The two presidential campaigns on Saturday debated who was more radical as the final full month of the battle opened amid new signs that the fight is turning uglier.
Barack Obama attacked first, calling John McCain's health-care reform proposal "radical" and "out-of-touch" as he campaigned in Virginia, a state that has not backed a Democrat for president since 1964.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, meanwhile, took a more personal approach, accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists," a reference to the Illinois senator's ties to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers, as outlined in a New York Times article.
In Colorado, the Alaska governor said she was "interested to read about Barack's friends from Chicago" who would "target their own country."
Barack Obama attacked first, calling John McCain's health-care reform proposal "radical" and "out-of-touch" as he campaigned in Virginia, a state that has not backed a Democrat for president since 1964.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, meanwhile, took a more personal approach, accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists," a reference to the Illinois senator's ties to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers, as outlined in a New York Times article.
In Colorado, the Alaska governor said she was "interested to read about Barack's friends from Chicago" who would "target their own country."
A founder of the Weather Underground, Ayers is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His group claimed responsibility for bombings at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol four decades ago.
Obama has downplayed links to Ayers, with whom he worked in the 1990s on a school reform initiative that Obama headed and Ayers co-founded.
"Gov. Palin's comments, while offensive, are not surprising, given the McCain campaign's statement … that they would be launching swift boat-like attacks in hopes of deflecting attention from the nation's economic ills," Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement.
"The very newspaper story Gov. Palin cited in hurling her shameless attack made clear that Sen. Obama is not close to Bill Ayers, much less 'pals,' " the statement continued. "He has strongly condemned the despicable acts Ayers committed 40 years ago, when Obama was eight."
Obama specifically focused on McCain's proposal to tax health-care benefits that people get from their employers. Such a tax would be new, but McCain would also offer tax credits of $2,500 ($5,000 for families) to help pay for insurance coverage.
"But like those ads for prescription drugs, you've got to read the fine print to learn the rest of the story," he told an audience near the banks of the James River.
Sen. McCain, meanwhile, spent time Saturday at a resort in Sedona in his home state of Arizona preparing for Tuesday's presidential debate in Nashville.
Obama settled into his own debate camp in Asheville, N.C., where he is expected to periodically venture out for appearances in another traditionally red state he is trying hard to convert to the Democratic column.
Six times using phrases that included "ain't right," Obama on Saturday criticized McCain's health-care proposal and said it would result in younger, healthier workers deciding to opt out of insurance plans, further driving up the costs for others. It was the first time he addressed health care in any major way during the general election campaign.
The Democratic and Republican nominees would use significantly different approaches to try to address coverage for an estimated 45 million Americans—about 15 percent of the population—who have no health insurance.
Obama has called for expanded coverage, including a mandate for children, while both candidates have suggested that savings can be found through better technology.
With early voting already under way in many states, Obama's campaign also harnessed celebrities over the weekend to register new voters in battleground states.
Performers Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z, as well as basketball star LeBron James, were among those who were to rally potential voters in states including Pennsylvania, Michiganand Ohio in advance of registration deadlines Monday.
Obama has downplayed links to Ayers, with whom he worked in the 1990s on a school reform initiative that Obama headed and Ayers co-founded.
"Gov. Palin's comments, while offensive, are not surprising, given the McCain campaign's statement … that they would be launching swift boat-like attacks in hopes of deflecting attention from the nation's economic ills," Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement.
"The very newspaper story Gov. Palin cited in hurling her shameless attack made clear that Sen. Obama is not close to Bill Ayers, much less 'pals,' " the statement continued. "He has strongly condemned the despicable acts Ayers committed 40 years ago, when Obama was eight."
Obama specifically focused on McCain's proposal to tax health-care benefits that people get from their employers. Such a tax would be new, but McCain would also offer tax credits of $2,500 ($5,000 for families) to help pay for insurance coverage.
"But like those ads for prescription drugs, you've got to read the fine print to learn the rest of the story," he told an audience near the banks of the James River.
Sen. McCain, meanwhile, spent time Saturday at a resort in Sedona in his home state of Arizona preparing for Tuesday's presidential debate in Nashville.
Obama settled into his own debate camp in Asheville, N.C., where he is expected to periodically venture out for appearances in another traditionally red state he is trying hard to convert to the Democratic column.
Six times using phrases that included "ain't right," Obama on Saturday criticized McCain's health-care proposal and said it would result in younger, healthier workers deciding to opt out of insurance plans, further driving up the costs for others. It was the first time he addressed health care in any major way during the general election campaign.
The Democratic and Republican nominees would use significantly different approaches to try to address coverage for an estimated 45 million Americans—about 15 percent of the population—who have no health insurance.
Obama has called for expanded coverage, including a mandate for children, while both candidates have suggested that savings can be found through better technology.
With early voting already under way in many states, Obama's campaign also harnessed celebrities over the weekend to register new voters in battleground states.
Performers Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z, as well as basketball star LeBron James, were among those who were to rally potential voters in states including Pennsylvania, Michiganand Ohio in advance of registration deadlines Monday.
Source: Chicago Tribune
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