Obama, McCain campaign in conservative states - International...

McCain was campaigning Friday in Florida and on Saturday was moving on to North Carolina and Virginia. He lost his lead in polls in all three states during the past month.

The Republican on Friday returned to what is likely to be his theme for the final days of the campaign, that Obama wants to "spread the wealth around" — part of a comment that Obama made to a voter who asked about his tax plan.

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"When politicians talk about taking your money and spreading it around, you'd better hold onto your wallet," McCain said at a rally in Miami.

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"Sen. Obama claims that he want to give a tax break to the middle class, but not only did he vote for higher taxes for the middle class in the Senate, his plan gives away your tax dollars to those who don't pay taxes. That's not a tax cut; that's welfare," McCain said.

Obama maintains he would cut taxes for 95 percent of earners while raising them for the richest Americans, those making more than $250,000 a year.

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On the Democratic side, Obama was trying to stake out ground in traditionally Republican states, likely signaling that financial concerns are trumping any racial prejudices among white working-class voters. A recent AP-GfK poll showed that Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, has inched up among whites with no college education while McCain has lost significant ground.

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Four prominent newspapers, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times on Friday endorsed Obama.

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