Obama, McCain make final pitches

Barack Obama started his election eve barnstorming today in Jacksonville, Fla., a symbolic stop on two counts.

First, Florida, with a treasure trove of 27 delegates, is the scene of Democratic heartache, especially in 2000 with Al Gore, but is one of the states that went for President Bush that is ripe for the picking on Tuesday.

And Jacksonville is where Republican John McCain, on Sept. 15, when the financial crisis really began hitting, declared that the fundamentals of the economy were strong -- a remark he has regretted ever since.

"That day, more than 5,000 jobs were lost and more than 7,000 homes were foreclosed on. The day before, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said we were in a 'once in a century' crisis," Obama plans to say, according to prepared remarks.

"And yet, despite our economic crisis, John McCain actually came here, to Veterans’ Memorial Arena, and repeated something he’s said at least sixteen times on this campaign. He said – and I quote – 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong.'

"Well, Florida, you and I know that’s not only fundamentally wrong, it also sums up his out-of-touch, on-your-own economic philosophy. It’s a philosophy that says we should give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO and $300 billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess. It’s a philosophy that says we shouldn’t give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle-class Americans. And it’s a philosophy that will end when I am President of the United States of America."

Obama goes on later today to Charlotte, N.C., and Manassas, Va. -- also both red states he is within reach of turning blue.

He will also join McCain in interviews at halftime of "Monday Night Football."

In a radio interview this morning, Obama said he was calm, befitting the candidate who is leading in national polls and in most battleground states.

"You know, I feel pretty peaceful," he said on the "Russ Parr Morning Show. "I gotta say. Because my attitude is if we've done everything we can do, then it's up to the people to decide. And the question is going to be who wants it more. And I hope that our supporters want it bad, because I think the country needs it."

McCain, meanwhile, is on a seven-state marathon. He also started in Florida, with a rally in Tampa, and has events scheduled in Blountville, Tenn., Moon Township, Pa., Indianapolis, Roswell, N.M., Henderson, Nev., Prescott, Ariz.

In an opinion piece published today in the Wall Street Journal, he laid out his closing argument.

"The presidential election occurs at a pivotal moment. Our nation is fighting two wars abroad, suffers from the greatest global financial crisis since the Great Depression, and is facing a painful recession. I believe in the greatness of America. I believe in our capacity to prosper, and to be safer and remain a beacon of light on the global stage. But we cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change. We have to act immediately. We have to fight for it," he wrote.

"We need to grow our small businesses, not tax them. I will fight the Democrats' plans to redistribute the fruit of America's labor and turn our economy into a full-fledged disaster. I will cut taxes on families, seniors, savers and businesses. We need to double the child deduction, cut the capital gains tax, and keep jobs in America with a lower business tax.

"And I will chart a different course than the administration and Barack Obama and not spend your money just to bail out Wall Street bankers and brokers. I have a plan to protect the value of homes and get them rising again by refinancing mortgages so your neighbor won't default and further drag down the value of your house.

McCain continues: "One in five jobs in the U.S. depends on trade and I will fight the threat to those jobs from Democrat plans for isolationism. I won't make it harder to sell our goods overseas and kill more jobs. I will open new markets to goods made in America and make sure our trade is free and fair. And I'll make sure we help workers who've lost a job that won't come back find a new one that won't go away.

"Senator Obama wants to raise taxes and restrict trade. The last time America did that in a bad economy it led to the Great Depression."