WASHINGTON: John McCain cranked up a searing character assault on Barack Obama on Thursday, branding him "too risky" for the White House, as he raced to rescue his diving poll numbers. McCain issued a hard-hitting negative commercial, slamming his rivals judgement and candour and accusing him of not telling the truth about the extent of his acquaintance with William Ayers.
The Obama camp said the ad was "desperate and dishonest" and an attempt to distract voters from the worsening economic crisis and the McCain campaigns darkening prospects. Obama, set to launch a two-day bus tour in Ohio, often a decisive swing-state, also hit back with an ad ridiculing McCain's plan to buy up $300bn in bad mortgages as a waste of taxpayer money.
McCain's latest ad noted that Ayers was part of the activist Weather Underground group and his wife was on the FBI's Most Wanted list, and says Obama has disguised the full scope of their relationship. "Americans say, where's the truth, Barack? the ad says. "Barack Obama. Too risky for America." Obama has repeatedly said he is not close to Ayers, an assertion backed up by independent fact checking organisations.
Meanwhile, Obama has built a 4-point lead over McCain, aided by growing support from women and independent voters, according to a Reuters-Zogby poll released on Thursday. Obama led McCain 48% to 44% among likely US voters in the national poll, up from a 2 percentage-point advantage for Obama on Wednesday.
