McCain urges supporters to tone down Obama abuse
Posted
Updated
Obama has also rebuked McCain for preaching a politics of "anger and division". (Reuters: Jonathan Ernst, file photo)
Republican John McCain has called on his supporters to stop hurling abuse at Barack Obama at his rallies, saying he admired and respected his Democratic White House rival.
The Republican presidential ticket has been on the defensive after investigators found vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her powers as Alaska's Governor.
"We want to fight, and I will fight, but we will be respectful. I admire Senator Obama and his accomplishments and I will respect him," Senator McCain told a Minnesota rally, as a new Newsweek poll gave his rival a 11-point lead nationally.
"I want everyone to be respectful and let's make sure we are, because that is the way that politics should be conducted in America," he said.
Crowds at the rallies of Senator McCain and Governor Palin have become increasing inflammatory shouting out "terrorist" and "liar" when Senator Obama is mentioned. At one Florida rally, someone even shouted "kill him."
The US Secret Service said it was investigating the alleged death threat.
"We take every threat very seriously. Every time we receive or are reported information like that, we follow up," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said.
Senator Obama has also rebuked Senator McCain for preaching a politics of "anger and division".
"In the last couple of days we have seen a barrage of nasty insinuations and attacks and I am sure we will see much more over the next 25 days," he said at a rally in Ohio.
"It's easy to rile up a crowd by stoking anger and division. But that is not what we need now in the United States, the times are too serious."
For the first time in a Newsweek poll, Senator Obama was given a double digit lead on Friday (local time), with 52 per cent to 41 per cent for Senator McCain, with voters saying the economy was their top concern.
The last poll by the magazine a month ago, before the economic crisis began to bit, had the two men tied on 46 per cent.
- AFP
