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Obama offers leadership on financial woes

10/10/2008

Barack Obama has offered what he says is the "real leadership" needed in Washington to guide the United States through its financial crisis.

Addressing a rally in Ohio – among a key section of Midwestern swing states – the Democratic presidential nominee warned against "fear or panic" as trauma on world markets endured.

Wall Street has suffered from sharp falls in the past week, with a 0.5 percentage point cut and a $700 billion central bailout failing to stem traders' anxiety.

Mr Obama, who has opened a five-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the polls, said: "Now is not the time for fear or panic, now is the time for resolve, for leadership.

"Now is the time to come together with the determination that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis and restore confidence in the American economy."

American voters to go the polls to elect a new president on November 4th, but there are signs Mr Obama is moving away from Mr McCain, who is perceived to have lost both presidential debates held so far.

With domestic anger over the financial crisis being centred on the Republicans, Mr McCain and running-mate Sarah Palin have instead focused their recent campaign on attacking Mr Obama personally.

At a separate rally in Wisconsin, the Republican ticket repeated allegations that Mr Obama has not been truthful about his relationship with 1960s radical William Ayers.

But Mr Obama dismissed the latest attack.

"I can take four more weeks of John McCain's attacks but America can't take four more years of John McCain's George Bush look-alike policies," he told supporters.