BOTH CAMPAIGNS HIT REPUBLICAN TERRITORY
Barack Obama took his campaign into Republican territory Friday while John McCain found himself defending once-safe areas as the presidential candidates concentrated on states won four years ago by the GOP.
It was a more feisty McCain who appeared in Florida, appealing to senior citizens worried about Social Security and falling retirement funds.
"Senator Obama says that he wanted to spread your wealth around," he said. "When politicians talk about taking your money and spreading it around, you'd better hold onto your wallet."
McCain has rejected any tax increase in tough economic times. Obama has said that his plan would not raise taxes for 95 percent of Americans.
In Virginia, Obama lambasted McCain's health care plan, saying that it could lead to deep cuts in Medicare. He will visit Missouri, North Carolina and Florida in the next few days.
McCain also will visit North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and Missouri in coming days. All are states captured by Republicans in 2004 and where polls show Obama running strongly. With McCain running far behind in Michigan and Pennsylvania, his path to the White House looks similar to President Bush's in 2004, making it crucial for him to hold states such as Florida.
ACORN FUROR BUILDS; OBAMA SEEKS SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
The furor over the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now's voter registration drive exploded with new controversies Friday, including a call by Obama for an independent prosecutor and the disclosure of a death threat against an ACORN worker.
Republicans, including McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin, have verbally attacked the group in recent days, alleging a widespread vote-fraud scheme, although they've provided little proof of such a systematic effort. On Friday, Palin told supporters in Ohio: "This group needs to learn that you here in Ohio won't let them turn the Buckeye State into the Acorn State."
