McCain: Obama made error

In the first of three rallies in the key Keystone State today, John McCain sought to smack a political home run by portraying Democratic rival Barack Obama as a switch-hitter on baseball loyalties.

"I heard and I think you did too that Senator Obama was showing some love to the Devil Rays down in Tampa Bay yesterday," McCain said in Bensalem, Pa., as supporters booed. "Now, I'm not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states, but I think I may have detected a little pattern with Senator Obama. It's pretty simple really. When he's campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he's campaigning in Tampa Bay, he shows love to the Rays."

At a rally on Monday, Obama did appear with several Rays players, saying at one point, "Give it up for the Rays!" But last week in Philadelphia, he declared, "I'll root for the Phillies now." The teams start the World Series on Wednesday night.

McCain told the Pennsylvania voters that Obama is a flip-flopper on other issues, as well.

"It's kind of like the way he campaigns on tax cuts, but then votes for tax increases after he's elected. Or the way he says he backs the middle class and then goes and attacks Joe the Plumber after Senator Obama's asked a tough question. What's all that about?" the Republican said.

The Obama campaign insists that by high-fiving Rays players on Monday, that doesn't mean he's rooting for them instead of of the Phillies.

Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan responded, "I guess these are the kinds of attacks you make when you have no plan to fix our economy. Senator Obama said he's rooting for the Phillies. He said nice things about the members of the team who came out to support him, but that doesn't change the fact that they bounced his White Sox out of the playoffs."