2nd former Bush official endorses Obama

— -- President Bush's former press secretary Scott McClellan endorsed Barack Obama on Thursday, becoming the second Bush White House veteran this week to back the Democrat.

McClellan, who wrote a book critical of the Bush administration, said Obama has "the best chance of changing the way Washington works." His comments were made during the taping of a new CNN talk show featuring comedian D.L. Hughley that airs this weekend.

McClellan's announcement comes days after former secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday that he would back Obama. McClellan was Bush's chief spokesman from 2003 to 2006 and went to work for his fellow Texan's first presidential campaign in 1999.

Obama and Republican nominee John McCain, meanwhile, invoked Bush and "Joe the Plumber" in their ongoing debate about the economy during separate campaign events.

Obama told backers in Indiana it is "time to turn the page" on Bush-McCain economic policies. McCain traversed central Florida on a "Joe the Plumber Tour," saying the Ohio man is the kind of aspiring business owner who would be hurt by higher taxes under an Obama administration.

The tour is named for Joe Wurzelbacher, who grilled Obama about his tax plan earlier this month.

"Sen. Obama is more interested in controlling who gets your piece of the pie than he is in growing the pie," McCain said in Ormond Beach, Fla. He also criticized Obama for changing details in his plans, arguing that Obama would "say anything to get elected."

Hours later in Indianapolis, Obama said all but the wealthiest Americans would get a tax break under his proposal, while McCain plans to reward corporations that move jobs overseas. He denounced McCain's criticisms as "say-anything, do-anything politics."

"We've tried it John McCain's way," Obama said, stressing the nation's financial crisis. "We've tried it George Bush's way."

Obama left the campaign later in the day to visit his ailing grandmother in Hawaii. He plans to resume campaigning Saturday in Reno.

Indiana has backed a Democrat only once since 1936 when its voters picked Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Without Florida, Bush could not have won either of his presidential elections.