As McCain and Obama campaigns resume, it's the economy
The candidates stress their dueling plans for growth, jobs and tax relief. McCain heads for Denver, while plane problems sidetrack Obama on his way to North Carolina.
After a lull for the July Fourth holiday weekend, the presidential campaigns of the major parties turned their sights today on the economy, the issue that polls indicate is of the most concern to likely voters.
Republican John McCain will speak in Denver, where he will call for creating more jobs by helping small businesses, encouraging free trade and developing a greater role for nuclear power.
Democrat Barack Obama, was supposed to use a campaign stop in Charlotte, N.C., to call for a second economic stimulus package and greater tax relief for the middle class. The stop was postponed when the Obama campaign plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing in St. Louis because of what the campaign called a maintenance issue.
Throughout the morning, both campaigns pressed on economic issues and released details of their latest proposals, similar to plans they have floated before.
Given continuing anxieties about the economy -- caused by extensive mortgage foreclosures, rising energy prices and dropping markets -- voters can expect to hear the plans often in campaign stops in the coming months.
Both campaigns will argue that the economy is troubled, though their remedies will differ and will stress differing roles for the national government.
"I have a plan to grow this economy, create more and better jobs, and get America moving again,' McCain's prepared remarks said. "I have a plan to reform government, achieve energy security, and ensure that healthcare and a quality education are affordable and available for all. I believe the role of government is to unleash the creativity, ingenuity and hard work of the American people, and make it easier to create jobs."
McCain will again call for doubling the child income tax deduction to $7,000, and he plans to cut the estate tax and provide tax credits of up to $5,000 for families to buy health insurance.
Obama backs a greater government demand on employers to provide insurance or to pay into a national health care plan. McCain opposes such an increased demand on business.
McCain restated his support of free trade, an issue that separates him from Obama, who wants changes in NAFTA and opposes expanding the free trade rules to Colombia.
In an interview Monday on CBS' "The Early Show," McCain campaign advisor Carly Fiorina was asked what he would do immediately to boost the economy if he's elected president.
