Obama goes prime-time; McCain goes for the jugular

Photos of U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama, left, and John McCain sit Wednesday at La Herradura Beach in Lima, Peru, while shamans perform a ritual to send good vibes to their favorite candidate. Nine of the 11 faith-healers from the Apus-Inka healers association said they foresee Obama winning the election.

Obama’s ad skips budget realities

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was less than upfront in his half-hour commercial Wednesday night about the costs of his programs and the crushing budget pressures he would face in office.

Obama’s assertion that “I’ve offered spending cuts above and beyond” the expense of his promises is accepted only by his partisans. His vow to save money by “eliminating programs that don’t work” masks his failure throughout the campaign to specify what those programs are – beyond the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

A sample of what voters heard in the ad, and what he didn’t tell them:

THE SPIN: “I’ve offered spending cuts above and beyond their cost.”

THE FACTS: Independent analysts say both Obama and Republican John McCain would deepen the deficit. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates Obama’s policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years – and that analysis accepts the savings he claims from spending cuts. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, whose other findings have been quoted approvingly by the Obama campaign, says: “Both John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed tax plans that would substantially increase the national debt over the next 10 years.” The analysis goes on to say: “Neither candidate’s plan would significantly increase economic growth unless offset by spending cuts or tax increases that the campaigns have not specified.”

Sunrise, Fla. ? Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plunked down $4 million for a campaign-closing television ad Wednesday night and summoned voters to “choose hope over fear and unity over division” in Tuesday’s election. Republican John McCain derided the event as a “gauzy, feel-good commercial,” paid for with broken promises.

“America, the time for change has come,” Obama said in the final moments of the unusual ad, a blend of videotaped moments and a live appearance before thousands in Sunrise, Fla.

“In six days we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates jobs and fuels prosperity starting with the middle class,” Obama said.

The 30-minute ad, aired on CBS, NBC, Fox and several cable networks, came days from the end of a race in which Obama holds the lead in polls nationally and in most key battleground states as he bids to become the first black president.

And while it is unusual for candidates to acknowledge the possibility of defeat, Republican running mate Sarah Palin said she intended to remain a national figure even if the ticket loses next week. “I’m not doin’ this for naught,” she told ABC News in an interview.

Republicans and even some Democrats said the race was tightening as it neared the end. Although Obama made no mention of McCain in his paid television ad, both men sharpened their rhetoric during the day.

McCain, in Florida, argued that Obama lacks “what it takes to protect America from terrorists” as he sought to shift attention away from the economy.

“The question is whether this is a man who has what it takes to protect America from Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida and the other great threats in the world,” he said. “He has given no reason to answer in the affirmative.”

Obama, in North Carolina, said if, “Sen. McCain is elected, 100 million Americans will not get a tax cut … your health care benefits will get taxed for the first time in history … we’ll have another president who wants to privatize part of your Social Security.”

For weeks now, the race has tilted Obama’s way as the two men traverse traditionally Republican states – Obama angling for a sizable triumph and McCain hoping to win the White House in a close finish.

Associated Press-GfK polls taken within the past several days showed Obama ahead in four states that supported President Bush in 2004 and essentially even with McCain in two others. A separate survey suggested even McCain’s home state of Arizona was not safely in his column.

The 30-minute campaign commercial, purchased at a cost that campaign aides put at roughly $4 million, not only marked Obama’s attempt to seal his case with the electorate, but also underscored his enormous financial advantage in the race. He has outraised McCain by far after first committing – and then reneging – on a pledge to limit spending to the $84 million available under federal matching funds.

Obama used his commercial to pledge a rescue plan for the middle class in tough times. “I will not be a perfect president,” he said. “But I can promise you this – I will always tell you what I think and where I stand.”

McCain sought to blunt Obama’s campaign-closing pitch, lacking the funds to match it.

“He’s got a few things he wants to sell you: He’s offering government-run health care … an energy plan guaranteed to work without drilling … and an automatic wealth spreader that folds neatly and fits under any bed,” McCain told an audience in Florida.

The Republican National committee on Wednesday unveiled a new ad that seeks to raise doubts about Obama’s lack of executive experience. The ad will begin airing Thursday in Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and Florida markets.