McCain, Obama campaign hard in final stretch

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Republican John McCain dismissed national polls and said Sunday that he is gaining ground on rival Barack Obama, while the Democratic nominee urged supporters in a key Western state to vote early.

In a small gym here at University of Northern Iowa, McCain told about 2,000 supporters that "the pundits, as usual, have written us off — just like they've done before."

McCain, describing himself as an underdog, is down an average of about 8 percentage points nationwide and by double digits in Iowa, according to polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close McCain adviser, said internal campaign polls show McCain down about 3 points nationally.

"I'm kind of old-fashioned about these things," said McCain, who rallied to capture the GOP nomination. "I prefer to let the voters weigh in."

Obama, meanwhile, drew 100,000 people to an outdoor rally in Denver, in a state that has twice voted for President Bush. The Colorado crowd roared when Obama asked how many completed ballots since early voting began last week. "That's what I'm talking about!" he said. "No point in waiting in lines if you don't have to. You know who you're gonna vote for. Go to the polls."

The campaign entered its final full week exactly 41 years after McCain, a Navy pilot in the Vietnam War, was shot down in Hanoi. He spent the next 5½ years in a North Vietnamese prison camp.

Graham said in an interview in Waterloo, Iowa, that McCain has been a good closer throughout his career and has faced bigger challenges than this presidential campaign. "Forty-one years ago, he was worse off than he is today," said Graham.

McCain focused mostly on economic issues in his Iowa speeches, arguing that Obama and Democratic allies in Congress would raise taxes, increase federal spending and lose the war in Iraq. He briefly mentioned his years in captivity during a Zanesville, Ohio event, saying "that's where I really learned to love America."

Appearing earlier Sunday on NBC's Meet The Press, McCain also sought to distance himself from politically unpopular Bush by noting that he has criticized the administration for higher federal spending, its initial handling of the Iraq war and for its slow response to global warming. A new Congressional Quarterly study shows McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time.