Obama sets out ‘closing argument’

CHICAGO

Sen. Barack Obama plans Monday to make a “closing argument” for the change he promises to bring to the White House and the country, hammering home a populist message of economic deliverance for middle-class families that he says contrast with the favor-the-wealth policies of his Republican rival.

“In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street,” Mr. Obama will say at a rally in Canton, Ohio, according to his prepared remarks.

The “closing argument” hits familiar themes from his stump speech, including promises to end the divisive politics that he says define his opponent’s campaign and for policies that will rebuild the economy “from the bottom up.”

Mr. Obama, an Illinois senator, says the Nov. 4 election stands as a “defining moment in history” when Americans can reject the “tired, old theory” of government represented by President Bush and Mr. McCain.

It reinforces the connection Mr. Obama has relentlessly drawn between Mr. McCain and the wildly unpopular president, as he blames both for the country’s financial turmoil.

“The last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations,” he will say.

“Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven’t worked, and its time for change. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.”

He makes the case as he leads in most battleground states, putting Mr. McCain on the defense in at least eight states that President Bush won in 2004.

“In one week, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy from the bottom up so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor,” Mr. Obama will say.

“In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.”