Stump compass points East, South, Midwest

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The campaigns of the two major-party candidates for U.S. president kick it up a notch Thursday with appearances scheduled in four critical states.

Democrat Barack Obama, fresh from his 30-minute, prime-time infomercial, has visits planned for Missouri, Ohio and Florida, key states considered toss-ups just days before Election Day. Republican John McCain has a rally planned for Ohio.

The vice presidential candidates will be busy as well. Democrat Joe Biden has campaign events planned in Pennsylvania and Missouri, while GOP nominee Sarah Palin stumps in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

McCain and Obama have tied the economy with national security in recent speeches. In an appearance in Tampa, Fla., McCain argued a "Democratic-dominated Washington" would weaken the economy and national security, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

"Raising taxes and unilaterally renegotiating trade agreements as they have promised would make a bad economy even worse, and undermine our national security," McCain said after meeting with his national security advisers Wednesday.

Obama also linked national security and the economy, saying, "We can't afford another president who ignores the fundamentals of our economy while running up record deficits to fight a war without end in Iraq," Obama said while stumping in Virginia late last week.

White House officials confirmed that neither McCain nor Obama would participate directly in a Nov. 15 summit on the global financial crisis, the Post said. Press secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday whoever wins the election will be "providing input" to the negotiations.