Obama Campaigns in Roanoke

Slams McCain's Medicare plan

    Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama spent part of Friday campaigning in Roanoke, Va.  The commonwealth is one of the key battleground states up for grabs in November.

   Obama addressed thousands of people at the Roanoke Civic Center.  During his appearance he criticized rival John McCain's Medicare plan.

   Obama said McCain wants to cut $882 billion from Medicare over a decade to help finance his health care plan.  Obama said the cuts would have a disastrous affect on seniors and result in more costly drugs, diminished services and lower quality care.

   "It's entirely consistent with Sen. McCain's record during his 26 years in Congress where, time and again, he's opposed Medicare," Obama said. "In fact, Sen. McCain has voted against protecting Medicare 40 times."

  The McCain campaign was quick to respond to Obama's charge, saying Obama is "simply lying." The statement from the campaign said McCain's Medicare plan would trim spending, but said his plans "do not cut a single benefit."

  Obama has aggressively been campaigning in Virginia, a state that has voted Republican in the past 10 presidential elections.  Obama is spending far more on television advertising in Virginia than McCain and has 50 offices statewide. This was Obama's seventh campaign trip to the state since he wrapped up the Democratic nomination in June.

   McCain, meanwhile, is not giving up his fight in Virginia.  He will be campaigning in Woodbridge on Saturday.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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