McCain, Obama compete for Pa. votes

WASHINGTON -- Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain campaigned in voter-rich Pennsylvania Tuesday as they begin focusing on an increasingly narrow group of states in the last week of the campaign.

Obama, who is leading in national polls, spoke to a shivering crowd of several thousand people in a cold, steady rain in Chester, Pa., a pivotal swing area of the state.

"I just want all of you to know that if we see this kind of dedication on Election Day, there is no way that we're not going to bring change to America," the Illinois senator said.

Obama, like McCain, put the economy front and center, criticizing the Arizona senator's championing of tax cuts corporations and the wealthy.

"John McCain has been riding shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy toward the cliff," he said. "And now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas."

In Hershey, Pa., McCain, joined by his vice presidential running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, hammered at Obama for what he said was the Democrat's tax policies to "spread the wealth" that smacked of socialism.

"Senator Obama is running to be Redistributionist-in-Chief. I'm running to be Commander-in-Chief," McCain told a cheering crowd. "Senator Obama is running to spread the wealth. I'm running to create more wealth. Senator Obama is running to punish the successful. I'm running to make everyone successful."

The Republican candidate said he believes that Pennsylvania voters will defy pundits who, he said, have already handed the election to Obama.

"You've got independence, and you've got judgment and that's why we're going to win this election on Nov. 4, he said.

Pennsylvania is the only traditionally Democratic battleground state into which McCain is pouring major resources in the last seven days of the campaign.

Instead, McCain is increasingly focused on defending traditionally Republican states like Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana that President Bush won in 2004.

After his swing through Pennsylvania, McCain was heading to Fayetteville, N.C.