SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Sen. John McCain promoted his economic agenda Wednesday, holding back- to-back panel discussions with business leaders a day after rolling out a series of tax-cut proposals.
“I need to have this dialogue across America so I can be best informed and best educated,” said McCain, R-Ariz., who in the past has acknowledged that he’s stronger on national security and foreign affairs than he is on the economy.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee spent a couple of hours reiterating his free-trade, low-tax, small-government pitch and engaging in a back-and-forth with local business executives. The events were held in a warehouse at Bucyrus International, Inc., a company that designs and manufactures heavy mining equipment.
Obama has harsh words for Carter
PHILADELPHIA — Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday criticized former President Carter for meeting with leaders of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas as he tried to reassure Jewish voters that his candidacy isn’t a threat to them or U.S. support for Israel.
The Democratic presidential candidate’s comments, made to a group of Jewish leaders here, were his first on Carter’s controversial meeting scheduled this week in Egypt.
The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, Sen. John McCain, called on Obama to repudiate Carter in a speech to The Associated Press on Monday.
Obama told the Jewish group he had a “fundamental disagreement” with Carter, who was rebuffed by Israeli leaders during a peace mission to the Middle East this week.
The Illinois senator has been working to reassure Jewish voters nervous about his candidacy in the wake of publicity about anti-Israel sentiments expressed by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton during a February debate that he hadn’t immediately rejected an endorsement from black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan. Obama responded that he already had denounced Farrakhan but would reject his support as well.
Michelle Obama rejects elitist label
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Michelle Obama said Wednesday that she is a product of a working- class background and rejected characterizations of her and her husband as elitist.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has tried to deflect criticism of his comments that people in small towns cling to religion and guns out of bitterness over their economic plight.
His Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain have called the remarks elitist. Obama said it was a poor choice of words to describe the economic insecurity many face.
“I am a product of a working-class background; I am one of those folks who grew up in that struggle. That is the lens through which I see the world,” Michelle Obama told a cheering crowd at Harrison High School, the first stop of a three-city campaign swing ahead of the state’s May 6 primary.
Michelle Obama said the difficulties people face are real.
“Folks are struggling like never before,” she said. “We shouldn’t be surprised that people are cynical. There is a level of cynicism that comes when you feel like no matter how hard you work, no matter how much you do, you never catch up and you certainly can’t get ahead. So, you don’t believe that politics can do anything for you; you lose hope. Naturally, you fold your arms in disgust of the process.”
As a result, she said, people become isolated.
