Obama returns to the campaign trail

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Barack Obama resumed his Democratic U.S. presidential campaign Saturday, pounding his Republican opponent, John McCain, as a clone of President George W. Bush.

Obama, who took a couple of days off to be with his sick grandmother in Hawaii, reminded an audience of supporters in Reno, Nev., that McCain voted in support of Bush's policies 90 percent of the time over the past eight years. He mocked the Arizona senator for "attacking" Bush's economic policies.

"Well, let's be clear: John McCain attacking George Bush for his out-of-hand economic policy is like Dick Cheney attacking George Bush for his go-it-alone foreign policy," Obama said.

"Fortunately, President Bush doesn't seem to be at all offended -- because yesterday, he cast his vote -- early -- for Senator McCain. And that's no surprise, because when it comes to the policies that matter for middle class families, there's not an inch of daylight between George Bush and John McCain."

Obama went on to tie McCain to Bush on tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, privatization of Social Security, less regulation of business and taxing healthcare benefits.

"It's the same, failed, Wall Street first/Main Street last economic policy -- and we're going to change it," the Illinois senator said.

Obama's wife, Michelle Obama, was busy on the stump for her husband Friday, The Washington Post reported.

"Races are lost on thousands of votes, and there are hundreds of thousands of people who are registered who will not vote," Obama said. "Don't wait until Election Day when it's snowing … Vote now."