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McCain and Obama target key state McCain and Obama target key state
(about 2 hours later)
The rival candidates for the US presidential election are beginning the one-week poll countdown with rallies in the key state of Pennsylvania. The rival candidates for the US presidential election have begun their final week of campaigning with rallies in the key state of Pennsylvania.
Republican John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin are both at a rally in the town of Hershey as they try to turn round an opinion poll deficit. Republican John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin said they would surprise pundits by winning the state.
Democrat Barack Obama is rallying in the town of Chester and has warned against any complacency. Democrat Barack Obama told supporters in the town of Chester that it was "time to come together" as Americans.
Latest polls suggest Mr Obama is still ahead but by a slightly smaller margin. The latest opinion polls suggest Mr Obama is still ahead but by a slightly smaller margin than last week.
'Shake up Washington' While Mr McCain and Mrs Palin both appeared in Hershey, a conservative town, two other rallies at Allentown and Quakertown had to be cancelled because of bad weather.
Mr McCain and Mrs Palin are both appearing in Hershey, a conservative town, after two other rallies at Allentown and Quakertown had to be cancelled because of bad weather. Mr McCain next visits North Carolina while Mrs Palin will stay for other rallies in Pennsylvania - at Pennsylvania State University and at Shippensburg. Mr Obama will head to Virginia later on Tuesday.
They will later split up, with Mr McCain heading for North Carolina. Mrs Palin will stay for other rallies in Pennsylvania - at Pennsylvania State University and at Shippensburg. Mr Obama will later head to Virginia. It's wonderful to fool the pundits, we're going to win in the state of Pennsylvania John McCain class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/2008/10/are_they_bluffing.html">John McCain's bluff? class="" href="/1/hi/in_depth/629/629/7360265.stm">US Election polltracker
We can't let up. Not now. Not when so much is at stake Barack Obama Opinion polls show a healthy lead for Mr Obama in Pennsylvania but Mr McCain sees the industrial state - with its disaffected white working-class voters - as a key target on the road to the White House.
Opinion polls show a healthy lead for Mr Obama in Pennsylvania but Mr McCain sees the industrial state with its disaffected white working-class voters as a key target on the road to the White House. Mr McCain repeated his promise to "clean up Washington", saying that his running mate - the governor of Alaska - would "show them what reform is all about, the same way she did in the state of Alaska, my friends".
In the town of Pottsville in the state on Monday, Mr McCain told a noisy rally: "If I'm elected, I'll fight to shake up Washington. And the Republican said professional pollsters were wrong about Mr Obama's lead among the state's voters.
"I'm not afraid of the fight, you're not afraid of the fight and we're ready for the fight." "It's wonderful to fool the pundits, we're going to win in the state of Pennsylvania."
He again claimed that Mr Obama was a tax-and-spend liberal, and that with the Democrats likely to retain control of Congress it would be necessary to have a Republican counter-balance in the White House. McCain advisors have been suggesting lately that the race for some of the battleground states might be a bit closer than it seems, says the BBC's North America editor Justin Webb, on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania.
Mr Obama, in Pittsburgh on Monday, warned that there could be no complacency despite the polls. Mrs Palin said Mr Obama had not been candid with voters about his tax plans, saying they would stifle America's "entrepreneurial spirit".
"Don't believe for a second this election is over," he said. She was briefly booed by some in the crowd who appeared to support Barack Obama, but responded quickly.
"We can't let up. Not now. Not when so much is at stake." "I don't know, when we hear protests like that I'm always tempted to tell security: 'No, let them stay, maybe they can learn a thing from all of you.'"
He added: "In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo." 'Over a cliff'
The choice of visits after Pennsylvania suggest Mr McCain is still fighting to hold traditionally Republican states - while Mr Obama is attempting to swing them to the Democrats. Meanwhile, in Chester, Pennsylvania, Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of about 9,000 people at an outdoor rally on a cold, rainy morning. John McCain has ridden shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy toward a cliff, and now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas Barack Obama
"This is an unbelievable crowd for this kind of weather," he said.
"If we see this kind of dedication on election day, there is no way that we're not going to bring change to America."
He repeated his campaign pledge that taxes would not be raised on Americans who earn under$250,000 and once again asserted that Mr McCain would continue the economic policies of unpopular incumbent George W Bush.
"He's supported four of the five Bush budgets that have taken us from the surpluses of the Clinton years to the largest deficits in history," Mr Obama said of his rival.
"John McCain has ridden shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy toward a cliff, and now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas."
He closed by saying it was "time to come together" as Americans.
"I'm asking you to believe... in your ability to bring about change," he said.
Outgunned
The choice of visits after Pennsylvania suggests Mr McCain is still fighting to hold traditionally Republican states - while Mr Obama is attempting to swing them to the Democrats.
North Carolina has not voted Democrat since 1976, while Virginia has not done so since 1964. Current polls point to a tight race in both states.North Carolina has not voted Democrat since 1976, while Virginia has not done so since 1964. Current polls point to a tight race in both states.
The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Washington says with seven days to go, the problems for Mr McCain remain pretty much as they have been all along. The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Washington says that with seven days to go, the problems for Mr McCain remain pretty much as they have been all along.
He is the first Republican in many years to find himself outgunned financially and outmuscled on the ground, our correspondent says.He is the first Republican in many years to find himself outgunned financially and outmuscled on the ground, our correspondent says.
Mr Obama has a costly 30-minute "infomercial" airing on leading US networks on Wednesday evening. As if to hammer home the point, Mr Obama has bought a costly 30-minute "infomercial" due to be shown on leading US networks on Wednesday evening.