US O8: Obama On Threshold Of History

Democrat Barack Obama is extending his campaign advertising into traditionally Republican territory, as polls there show him closing on rival John McCain.  He is to run ads in Arizona, his rival's home state, as well as North Dakota and Georgia, with only days to go before the US presidential election.
Mr McCain, campaigning for a second day in the key swing state of Ohio, made a last-minute appeal for donations while Mr Obama is holding events across the Midwest, starting in the state of Iowa. He will make a brief stop in his home city of Chicago to see his two daughters on Halloween, aides said.    
Speaking at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Mr Obama warned that Mr McCain's campaign was likely to escalate into a final crescendo of attacks on him. Voters will see "more of the slash-and-burn, say-anything, do-anything politics that's calculated to divide and distract, to tear us apart, rather than bring us together", he said.
His campaign plans to run two adverts in North Dakota and Georgia, both states which have usually voted Republican. One seeks to link Sen McCain, 72, to President George W Bush, suggesting the Republican would continue the same economic policies. The other relies on Mr Obama's message of "unity over division", highlighting his endorsement by such high-profile Republican figures as former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis dismissed the advance into Republican territory, saying he advised Mr Obama, 47, to focus his spending on states which Mr McCain intended to prise from him on 4 November.  Mr Davis also told reporters that the campaign was "jazzed up" about Mr McCain's prospects, saying that he was living up to his reputation as the underdog who fights back.
30 Oct
John McCain attacks Barack Obama for his 2005 vote in favour of tax breaks for oil companies, while Mr Obama criticises Mr McCain for wanting to continue President Bush's economic policies. At a rally in Ohio, Mr McCain calls on Joe "the plumber" Wurzelbacher to join him on stage, before realising that Mr Wurzelbacher is not present at the event.
KEY QUOTES
"Rousing speeches can fill a stadium, but they cannot keep this country safe. For a season, a man can inspire with his words. But for a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds."
Sarah Palin
We still think we've got plenty of time to close the gap enough to make this election competitive and win it - Rick Davis, McCain campaign manager
29 Oct
"If you want to know where Senator McCain will drive this economy, just look in the rear-view mirror. Because when it comes to our economic policies, John McCain has stood with President Bush every step of the way." - Obama "We're still fighting, we're still behind, we still think we've got plenty of time to close the gap enough to make this election competitive and win it."  - Rick Davis, McCain campaign manager
"He has campaigned with more style, intelligence and discipline than his opponent. Whether he can fulfil his immense potential remains to be seen. But Mr Obama deserves the presidency." The Economist endorses “I'm Ezra Klein and I do not approve this message."
Liberal columnist Ezra Klein objects to the out-of-context use of his words in an anti-Obama mail-out
NUMBER NEWS
The tightening seen recently in the daily tracking polls appears to have stopped, with Mr Obama's lead holding steady at between five and eight points.
In Ohio, Mr Obama leads by seven (according to the National Journal), or by four (according to CNN). In Pennsylvania, he leads by 12 (CNN), or by 13 (Muhlenberg).
In North Carolina, he leads by six (CNN), or by four (National Journal), or by two (Rasmussen).
In Virginia, he is ahead by four points (accroding to both Marist and the National Journal). In Colorado, he holds a six-point lead (Marist) or a four-point lead (National Journal).
In Indiana, he is either ahead by one point (Selzer) or trailing by three (Rasmussen).
A Nevada poll from CNN and a Florida poll from National Journal also give him leads in those battleground states.
Frill And Thrills    
McCain has no wiggle room - one failure and he's done for
The BBC's Matthew Price, in Mentor, Ohio "We are witnessing, I believe, probably one of the greatest comebacks that you've seen since John McCain won the primary," he said.
Mr McCain told supporters at a rally in Hanoverton, Ohio, on Friday that Mr Obama was "in the liberal left-lane of politics" and intended to raise their taxes. Ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, campaigning for his former rival for the Republican nomination, said Mr McCain was the candidate sticking up for ordinary Americans.
"He's going to fight to see that your taxes are low and that the economy recovers," he said. The McCain campaign's efforts come a day after the Arizona senator made an eleventh-hour plea for donations in an effort to pull off a surprise victory in next week's election.
His appeal to supporters came less than a day after Mr Obama spent an estimated $5m (£3.1m) on a 30-minute primetime "infomercial" aired on US TV networks. Mr McCain is spending two days campaigning in Ohio, which is seen as a must-win state if he is to have any chance of overall victory. The latest national poll by CBS and the New York Times puts him 13% behind the Illinois senator. Mr Obama held rallies in Virginia, Florida and Missouri on Thursday on a final dash around swing states.
Polls in battleground states suggest the differences in support between the two candidates are much slimmer.
Obama 'makes chief-of-staff move'    
A Democratic congressman has reportedly been approached by US presidential hopeful Barack Obama to be his chief-of-staff. Rahm Emanuel was named by Democratic sources as a contender for the job.
The Illinois congressman is considered a highly partisan politician who served in Bill Clinton's White House. The BBC's Justin Webb says the McCain campaign say this is an example of the real face of an Obama administration - governed from the left.
Mr Obama refused to be drawn on reports he had approached Mr Emanuel about becoming his chief-of-staff. "I'm trying to win an election," he told reporters when asked the question as he stepped off a flight in Missouri. "Plouffe is my chief-of-staff," he added, referring to campaign manager David Plouffe.    
His plea to supporters came less than a day after Mr Obama spent an estimated $5m (£3.1m) on a 30-minute primetime "infomercial" aired on US TV networks.
McCain in emergency donation plea
John McCain campaigns in Defiance, Ohio, 30 October 2008, has called for financial help to counter anti-Republican attacks. He made this plea for emergency donations in an effort to pull off a surprise victory in Tuesday's election.  Mr McCain has been campaigning in Ohio Mr McCain made his emergency donations plea less than a day after Mr Obama spent an estimated $5m (£3.1m) on a 30-minute primetime "infomercial" aired on US TV networks.
In an email to supporters the Arizona senator wrote: "I'm asking for your financial support today to help us respond to attacks against our entire ticket. "This election is not over and we need everyone's hard work in the coming days to be victorious." The latest national poll by CBS and the New York Times puts him 13% behind his Democratic rival, Barack Obama.
Mr Obama held rallies in Virginia, Florida and Missouri on Thursday on a final dash around swing states.
Polls in battleground states suggest the differences between the two candidates are much slimmer.
Mr McCain said he would make a comeback in the final four days of campaigning.
"The pundits have written us off, just as they've done several times before," he said. "We're a few points down, but we're coming back."
But the BBC's North America editor Justin Webb says the latest surveys also suggest Mr McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, is sinking in the public's estimation: Some 59% of respondents said she was not ready to be vice-president.
Meanwhile there were reports that Mr Obama had approached a controversial congressman to be his chief of staff if he becomes president. The Illinois Congressman, Rahm Emanuel, is regarded as a highly partisan politician, and supporters of John McCain say he is an example of the real face of an Obama administration - governed from the left.
John McCain tries to introduce "Joe the plumber"
Mr McCain was joined at one rally by Joe Wurzelbacher - perhaps better known as "Joe the Plumber" - who has been adopted by the Republicans as a mascot after questioning Mr Obama's tax plan. Mr Wurzelbacher had failed to appear at a previous campaign stop, despite being called on stage.
Mr McCain also restated his policy in favour of reducing US reliance on foreign oil imports.
"If I'm elected president, we're going to stop sending $700bn a year to pay for oil from countries that don't like us very much. We're going to drill off shore and we're going to drill now."
Mr Obama has said that he backed the 2005 energy bill because it also contained tax breaks for renewable energy producers. And the Illinois senator has accused Mr McCain of supporting more tax breaks for oil firms, because the Republican candidate favours cutting corporate tax rates.
Speaking in Florida, and later repeating the message in Virginia and Missouri, Mr Obama drew his supporters' attention to the news that US GDP had dropped by 0.3% in the third quarter of 2008, and blamed President Bush for the decrease.
"Our falling GDP is a direct result of eight years of the trickle-down, Wall Street first/Main Street last policies that have driven our economy into a ditch," he said.    
 "If you want to know where Senator McCain will drive this economy, just look in the rear-view mirror. Because when it comes to our economic policies, John McCain has stood with President Bush every step of the way." Former Democratic US Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to appear in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his wife, Tipper, later on Friday.
The state holds significance for Mr Gore because - during his 2000 presidential run - he lost there by just 537 votes, triggering a recount, which was controversially halted by the US Supreme Court. Had he won the state, he would have won the presidential election.
Recent polls from CNN/Opinion Research suggest that Mr Obama leads Mr McCain by four points in Ohio, by six points in North Carolina and by seven points in Nevada, all states won by George W Bush in 2004.
More Republicans desert McCain
Colin Powell is the most high-profile Republican to endorse Senator Obama. Republican solidarity appears to be at stake as more prominent Republicans have lent their support to Democrat Senator Barack Obama in the campaign. Former Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland is the latest to throw his weight behind the Democratic nominee. He joins former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, and former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan. The selection of Sarah Palin is one factor turning off some Republicans. Former Senator Mathias told The Washington Post:
"For me, the decision is based on the long-range needs of our country and which of these two candidates I feel is better suited to recharge America's economic health, restore its prestige abroad and inspire anew all people who cherish freedom and equality.
"For me, that person is Barack Obama."
The economy is a major consideration for voters in this election. A Gallup poll found that not only is the economy perceived as the most important issue in the election, but the percentage who rate it as extremely important to their vote is the highest since 1996
'Alienated' the middle
Mr McCain said he was not surprised by Mr Powell's move, and highlighted the secretaries of state who do back him.
"I'm also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state, Secretaries [Henry] Kissinger, [James] Baker, [Lawrence] Eagleburger and [Alexander] Haig. And I'm proud to have the endorsement of well over 200 retired Army generals and admirals", Mr McCain said.
Most recently, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, who supported Mr Romney during the primaries, announced his endorsement of the Democratic candidate.
President Bush's former speechwriter David Frum indicated that Mr McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, could be a reason for Republican disunity.
"The very same campaign strategy that has belatedly mobilized the Republican core has alienated and offended the great national middle, which was the only place where the 2008 election could have been won", Mr Frum said.
Race tightening
Republican Congressman Christopher Shays, who is the co-chairman of the McCain campaign in Connecticut, told the Yale Daily News that Mr McCain "did not live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign." And Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, once considered a possible vice-presidential choice for John McCain, said that Obama "has a pretty good advantage in Minnesota right now."
Republican leaders are not alone in crossing over party lines to support the Democrat. Some traditionally conservative newspapers have turned their backs on Mr McCain. The Chicago Tribune and The Denver Post, which endorsed President George W. Bush in 2004, threw their support at Mr Obama.
The Los Angeles Times, who backed Mr McCain during the Republican primaries, also endorsed Mr Obama for president. But how much influence such endorsements have on the final outcome is not clear. The latest opinion polls show the race tightening. A Rasmussen poll has Mr McCain narrowing the gap to within three points of Mr Obama, at 47% to 50%.
McCain and Obama hit key states
The rival candidates for the US presidential election have begun their final week of campaigning with rallies in the key state of Pennsylvania. Republican John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin said they would surprise pundits by winning the state.
Democrat Barack Obama told supporters in Chester that it was "time to come together" as Americans.
The latest opinion polls suggest Mr Obama is still ahead but by a slightly smaller margin than last week. While Senator McCain and Mrs Palin both appeared in Hershey, a conservative town, two other rallies at Allentown and Quakertown had to be cancelled because of bad weather. It was the running mates' first appearance together since reports of infighting within the Republican camp.
Mr McCain, 72, said: "When two mavericks join up they don't agree on everything but that's a lot of fun."
The Arizona senator then went to North Carolina, a state which has not voted Democrat since 1976, but where Mr McCain and Mr Obama are now neck-and-neck in the polls.
Alaska Governor Palin, 44, stayed in Pennsylvania for other rallies. Illinois Senator Obama, 47, went on to campaign in Virginia, which has not voted Democrat since 1964, but where the race is also tight.
Opinion polls show a healthy lead for Mr Obama in Pennsylvania but Mr McCain sees the industrial state - with its disaffected white working-class voters - as a key target on the road to the White House. The Republican repeated his promise to "clean up Washington", saying that his running mate would "show them what reform is all about".And Mr  McCain said professional pollsters were wrong about Mr Obama's lead in the Rust Belt state.
John McCain attacks Barack Obama's economic plans
"It's wonderful to fool the pundits, we're going to win in the state of Pennsylvania," said Mr McCain. McCain advisors have been suggesting the race in some battleground states may be closer than it seems, says the BBC's North America editor Justin Webb, on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania.  Mrs Palin said Mr Obama had not been candid with voters about his tax plans.  "It doesn't sound like too many of you are supporting Barack the wealth spreader," she said. She was briefly booed by some in the crowd who appeared to support Mr Obama.
Meanwhile, in Chester, Pennsylvania, Mr Obama spoke to a crowd of about 9,000 people who braved cold and rain to attend an outdoor rally.    
John McCain has ridden shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy toward a cliff, and now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas.
He repeated his campaign pledge that taxes would not be raised on Americans who earn under $250,000 and once again asserted that Mr McCain would continue the economic policies of unpopular incumbent George W Bush. "He's supported four of the five Bush budgets that have taken us from the surpluses of the Clinton years to the largest deficits in history," Mr Obama said of his rival.
"John McCain has ridden shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy toward a cliff, and now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas." He closed by saying it was "time to come together" as Americans.
The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Washington says with seven days to go, the problems for Mr McCain remain pretty much as they have been all along. He is the first Republican in many years to find himself outgunned financially and outmuscled on the ground, our correspondent says.
As if to hammer home the point, Mr Obama has bought a costly 30-minute "infomercial" due to be shown on leading US networks on Wednesday evening.
McCain and Obama spar on economy
McCain says Obama is 'more interested in controlling wealth than creating it'
Republican John McCain and Democratic rival Barack Obama are attacking each other's economic plans, as they enter the last full week of campaigning.
Speaking after a meeting with economic advisers in Ohio, Senator McCain said his plan would create jobs whereas Mr Obama would cut jobs and raise taxes. Mr Obama told an Ohio rally that the US was at a "defining moment" in history.
Ahead in the polls, he said Mr McCain was offering "four more years" of the Bush administration's economic policy.
Mr McCain, meanwhile, has warned that a Democratic sweep of the White House and Congress will give the party unbridled power. The presidential rivals will both campaign in Pennsylvania, a swing state Mr McCain hopes to take from the Democrats, before heading south into previously safe Republican territory.
Senator McCain's attack on Mr Obama's financial plans followed a meeting with economic advisors including Mitt Romney, a former rival for the Republican nomination, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and former Housing Secretary Jack Kemp.
Barack Obama says the US cannot afford 'the same old Bush-McCain policies'
Mr McCain said: "We both disagree with President Bush on economic policies.
"My approach is to get spending under control. The difference between us is he thinks taxes have been too low, and I think spending has been too high."
He urged voters not to listen to Mr Obama's rhetoric but rather to look at his record on taxation.
“In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need," he said.
"At a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the tired, old theory that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else," he added.
From Ohio, Mr Obama was travelling to Pennsylvania - the only big state that voted Democrat in 2004 where Mr McCain is still actively campaigning.
Later in the week, he will be in Florida with former president Bill Clinton, and on Wednesday his campaign will broadcast a half-hour documentary across all major television networks.
Mr McCain and his vice-presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, will spend the final week of campaigning mainly in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, and Indiana, all states which voted Republican last time but are now up for grabs.    
Any serious Republican has to ask: 'How did we get into this mess?' Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives With the Democrats also leading in many key Congressional races, Mr McCain is warning voters of the dangers of one party controlling both the executive and legislative branch.
He is also seeking to distance himself from the unpopular Republican administration. "The fact is I am not George Bush. The fact is I was not popular in my own party," he said in a US television interview.
And he repeated his claim that he is closing the gap in the opinion polls and "will be up all night" on election day. But in-fighting has broken out among Republicans worried about the scale of any possible defeat.
"Any serious Republican has to ask, 'How did we get into this mess?'", former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who led the Congressional Republicans to victory in 1994, told the New York Times.



Evangelist Ojo Ade Restoring The Lost Glory

Evangelist Ojo Ade is unarguably one of the leading Nigerian gospel musicians. He is well known for his uncompromising stand on holiness and has an unalloyed passion for the old-time Christian teachings devoid of religious ‘rubbish’ in the name of end- time modernisation witnessed here and there in contemporary times. The itinerant singer-cum heaven- conscious preacher bares his mind on diverse issues concerning the Christendom and his  album titled," OGO T O SONU ",( the lost glory) in a no-holds-barred interview with OLUSOLA  AKINLADE.  Excerpts :

Please tell us about your album, “OGO TO SONU” and the message in it?
The album , “ OGO T O SONU” ( the lost glory) contains the true word of God which is meant to strengthen the true children of God who might be passing through lots of tribulations with the assurance of victory in view. It equally contains tracks of praises to God and counsels to end-time believers to be watchful so as not to be overtaken by the perils of this end- time period. It is a ‘must -hear’ for all Christians, hence it is marketed directly by us. It is also available at Gospel Choral and Records  and all other record companies. The record was released through the leading of the Spirit of God, taking cognizance of the events unfolding in the Christendom on daily basis. We discovered that many people are experiencing manifold problems the source of which is unknown to them. Some have lost their glories while sleeping or eating or worse still, on their wedding day while prostrating before their in-laws. But the most important thing is that we identify these myriads of problems with a view to leading men out of captivity back to the creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is capable of doing all things.
What actually informed your starting this singing ministry?
I discovered that I am well-gifted with the singing talent from my youth but upon my conversion at the tender age of 17, its reality further dawned on me. I never knew people do compose songs, despite my singing talent until some time in our church, we were about having a wedding ceremony and an old man told us he had just composed the song we were singing on that day. I started manifesting that gift later, hence I started composing myself. People do say God called them for singing but to me, there is nothing like that. All I know is that the songs I compose are beyond my human imagination or wisdom. The only call I can claim to have heard is church ministration.
Many gospel musicians started from the church but suddenly swerve to worldly songs. Has there been any temptation at any time for you to compromise and tow similar lane? If yes, what is your secret of still holding forth despite the highly tempting economic situation of the nation?
Our being able to hold forth is just by the mercy of God, hence the Holy Spirit has never left us alone. Even if we want to default, being human, the Holy Spirit whom we take as our partner never allowed us . It is unfortunate and disheartening to witness what gospel music has turned to today. Bearing in mind that one can only give out what one actually possess, the problem emanated from most of the so-called gospel musicians who are yet to visit Calvary themselves. Anybody can be blessed with gifts but it will be difficult for anyone who is not converted to sing the mind of Christ. The love of money makes one go against the will of God. Also, let us not forget that we are at the perilous time, hence we are not surprised as people, including servants of God, are not totally standing in the will of God rather gospel commercialisation, and church capacity remain the emphasis nowadays, knowing that if the church is filled up, then the pocket will definitely swell up. May God help us.
When did you wax your first record and what was your reaction to the acceptability or otherwise of the record by the public?
I waxed my first record titled, "JESU TO FUNMI" in 1981.It did not receive public acceptability. The same goes for the second one titled, "SATANI KO SINMI". It was seven years later when I came out with my third album titled, "OJO OLA MI A DARA" that God gave me some confidence. You see, when God's hand is in the business of a man, breakthrough is inevitable. I have an unshaken assurance in my heart , even right from the outset that God wanted to use me mightily through the singing ministry hence I did not allow the initial setbacks to shake me even for a moment until God said it was time. Now we have waxed  over 30 records.