As final presidential debate nears, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden focus on economy
With John McCain and Barack Obama prepping for tonight's matchup, the vice presidential nominees talk about the financial crisis fueling voter concerns.
WASHINGTON -- With all eyes focused on tonight's final presidential debate, vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden hit the campaign trail today to make the case that their team could better handle the economic crisis that is souring global markets and fueling voter concerns.
Palin, in a solo appearance in Dover, N.H., said that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, a former Vietnam War-era Navy pilot, is a fighter who would "fight for you" and "lead us in a new direction."
Palin called for an economic plan that offered tax cuts instead of more spending. "Not a hand out but a hand up that will help stabilize the financial markets," said the Alaska governor. "Americans cannot afford another tax increase."
Noting that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama voted 94 times to support tax increases, Palin said, "Taxes are already too high and he wants to raise them."
She also called for a freeze on all but essential government spending, pledging that a McCain administration would "balance the federal budget by the end of our term."
Delaware Sen. Joe Biden stumped in Ohio, the second day of the Democratic vice presidential candidate's two-day bus tour through that battleground state, with stops in Athens, Lancaster and Newark.
With the latest Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll showing Obama leading McCain nationally 50%-41% amid public unease about the global economic crisis, the faltering economy could be a key focus of tonight's debate, hosted by longtime newscaster Bob Schieffer of CBS. The debate, scheduled for 6 p.m. Pacific time, could prove the last best chance for McCain to change the trajectory of the race.
Both candidates have unveiled new economic plans in the last few days. Obama has proposed a $60-billion plan that includes an extension of unemployment benefits, a 90-day freeze on home foreclosures, penalty-free withdrawals from retirement funds and tax credits for creation of new jobs.
McCain has offered a $52.5-billion plan that suggests cutting in half the tax rate on capital gains and reducing the tax on withdrawals from retirement accounts.
At Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., site of tonight's debate, school officials have covered the gym floor in red carpet and put a bald eagle atop the basketball court. Local police officials are warning motorists about possible traffic jams and closures on New York's already-congested Long Island.
