Obama keeps up attacks on McCain

MANCHESTER, N.H. | Sen. Barack Obama told voters not to fall for Republican attempts to “distort my record,” keeping up his attacks on Sen. John McCain, whose campaign criticized the Democrat for talking politics during a hurricane.

During a rally that was scaled back as Hurricane Ike swamped Texas, the Democratic presidential nominee said Republicans “will try to undermine your trust in what the Democrats are trying to do,” but warned voters in the blue-leaning swing state that “the times are too serious for those strategies to work.”

“If we don’t [start] the changes that we need starting right now, then our children may not have the same kind of America that we want them to have,” Mr. Obama said.

Aides for Mr. McCain, who had no public events scheduled as his running mate hit the campaign trail solo for the first time, responded that Mr. Obama “showed zero restraint in the ferocity of his attacks,” calling it a “new low.”

“It says a lot about Barack Obama’s judgment that while his campaign canceled his appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and his running mate stayed home, Obama went ahead and delivered a series of scathing personal attacks,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.

Team McCain cited news reports quoting Obama aides speculating that their boss would go easier on Mr. McCain because of the storm and stories about Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. scrapping his plan to attend the rally.

The Obama campaign scoffed at the statement.

“We will take no lectures from John McCain, who is cynically running the sleaziest and least honorable campaign in modern presidential campaign history. His discredited ads with disgusting lies are running all over the country today. He runs a campaign not worthy of the office he is seeking,” spokesman Bill Burton said.

For her part, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Mr. McCain’s running mate, left her home state Saturday for her first solo campaign venture, telling supporters at a farewell rally that she will return at the end of the campaign.

“We’ve got a little travel coming the next 52 days,” Mrs. Palin told a cheering crowd of more than 2,000 gathered at the city convention center.

“But I’ll be home in November, and I’d really like to bring my friend,” she said, referring to Mr. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate.

She moved on to Nevada for a rally and is expected as early as next week to rejoin Mr. McCain on the campaign trail.

Unlike his retooled events during Hurricane Gustav at the beginning of the month, Mr. Obama continued to talk politics and slam his rival at the Saturday morning rally, which attracted 8,000 from New Hampshire and surrounding states.

Mr. Obama reprised his recent attacks on Mr. McCain, saying that the Arizona senator should be honored for his military service, but that when it comes to the plight of the middle class, he “doesn’t get it.”

“He is out of touch with the American people,” Mr. Obama said, to cheers.

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