PATASKALA, Ohio (AP) — Down to a fierce
finish, President Barack Obama accused Mitt Romney of scaring voters
with lies on
Friday, while the Republican challenger warned grimly of political
paralysis and another recession if Obama reclaims the White
House. Heading into the final weekend, the race's last big report
on the economy showed hiring picking up but millions still
out of work.
"Four more days!" Romney supporters bellowed
at his rally in Wisconsin. "Four more years!" Obama backers shouted as
the president
campaigned in Ohio.
With Ohio at the center of it all, the candidates sharpened their closing lines, both clutching to the mainstream middle while
lashing out at one another. Virtually all of the nine homestretch battleground states were getting personal attention from
the contenders or top members of their teams, and Romney was pressing hard to add Pennsylvania to the last-minute mix.
Urgency could be felt all across the
campaign, from the big and boisterous crowds to the running count that
roughly 24 million
people already have voted. Outside the White House, workers were
setting the foundation for the inaugural viewing stand for
Jan. 20. Lawyers from both camps girded for a fight should the
election end up too close to call.
Obama, for the first time, personally assailed Romney over ads suggesting that automakers General Motors and Chrysler are
adding jobs in China at the expense of auto-industry dependent Ohio. Both companies have called the ads untrue. The matter
is sensitive in Ohio, perhaps the linchpin state of the election.
"I know we're close to an election, but this
isn't a game," Obama said from Hilliard, Ohio, a heavily Republican
suburb of
the capital city of Columbus. "These are people's jobs. These are
people's lives. ... You don't scare hardworking Americans
just to scare up some votes."
For once, the intensely scrutinized monthly
jobs report seemed overshadowed by the pace of the presidential race. It
was unlikely
to affect the outcome.
Employers added a better-than-expected
171,000 jobs in October, underscoring that the economy is improving. But
the rate is
still short of what will be needed to seriously shrink
unemployment. The jobless rate ticked up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent
— mainly because more people jumped back into the search for work.
No issue matters more to voters than the economy, the centerpiece of a Romney message called the closing case of his campaign.
He said an Obama presidency would mean more broken relations with Congress, showdowns over government shutdowns, a chilling
effect on the economy and perhaps "another recession."
"He has never led, never worked across the aisle, never truly understood how jobs are created in the economy," said Romney,
a former private equity firm executive, in a campaign stop in Wisconsin.
Later in Ohio, he declared: "I will not represent one party. I will represent one nation."
Democrats sought to kick the legs out of Romney's late-campaign theme of bipartisanship.
"Mitt Romney's fantasy that Senate Democrats will work with him to pass his 'severely conservative' agenda is laughable,"
said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Obama claimed he loved working with Republicans — when they agreed with him. His tone was scrappy.
"I don't get tired," he said in the longest days of the campaign. When Romney's name drew boos, Obama blurted out: "Vote!
Voting is the best revenge."
While the politics intensified, real-life misery played out in the Northeast.
The death toll and anger kept climbing in the aftermath of the massive storm Sandy. Millions were without power, and many
drivers could find no gasoline.
Obama noted at the top of his campaign
speeches that he was still commanding the federal storm response. He
also managed to
tie it to the theme of his political bid. "We rise or fall as one
nation and as one people," he said, before launching directly
to the economic recovery under his watch.
Polling shows the race remains a legitimate toss-up heading into the final days. But Romney still has the tougher path to
victory because he must win more of the nine most-contested states to reach 270 electoral votes: Ohio, Florida, Virginia,
North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Hampshire.
The dash for cash continued to the end. A
fundraising email under Romney's name asked for money to expand
operations into
other states and "redefine the landscape of this election." An
Obama fundraising pitch said final decisions were being made
Saturday on where to direct the last campaign money. "It's not too
late," it said.
Romney was making a late, concerted push into Pennsylvania, drawing jeers from Obama aides who called it desperation. Obama
won the state comfortably in 2008. Romney appeared intent on another path to the presidency should he lose Ohio.
His foray into Pennsylvania is not folly.
Unlike states that emphasize early voting, Pennsylvania will see most
votes cast
on Election Day. The state has not been saturated with political
advertising, giving Romney and his supporting groups — still
flush with cash — an opportunity to sway last-minute voters with a
barrage of commercials. Obama is countering by buying commercial
time in the state as well and is sending former President Bill
Clinton into the state to campaign.
The candidates' wives and running mates fanned out to the South, Midwest and West to cover more ground.
"Here's what it comes down to: We can't afford to wait four more years for real change to get us on the right track," said
the Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, rallying for votes in Montrose, Colo. "We only need to wait four more
days."
Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden drew roaring support in Beloit, Wis., in a middle school near Ryan's hometown.
Obama reached beyond the big cities of Ohio before heading back to the White House. Romney was headed into the weekend with
a kickoff event for the finish, joining up with his running mate and their wives.
There are several parameters that can be customized to fit the customer's site: