Obama, McCain battle into last weekend before polls

Leaving nothing to chance and taking no vote for granted, the two US presidential candidates kept up a frenetic pace Saturday as they plunged into the last weekend of campaigning before Tuesday's election.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama is increasing his lead over Republican rival John McCain as the campaign enters its final phase, according to a poll published Saturday by the Washington Post.

It said 53 percent of the electorate would vote for Obama, compared to 44 percent for McCain. Obama also led in several key states seen as decisive in the election.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis predicted a "comeback" in the final days, as both sides ramped up their advertising and volunteer operations and were backed up by several surrogate campaigners.

At a rally in Laramie, Wyoming, Vice President Dick Cheney endorsed McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin. "I believe the right leader for this moment in history is Senator John McCain," Cheney said.

"John is a man who understands the danger facing America, he's a man who has looked into the face of evil and not flinched, he's a man who is comfortable with responsibility, and has been since he joined the armed forces at the age of 17.

"He has earned our support and confidence, and the time is now to make him commander in chief."

In Pueblo, Colorado, Obama lashed out at the endorsement by Cheney, who he said "came out of his undisclosed location" to hit the campaign trail.

"I'd like to congratulate Senator McCain on this endorsement because he really earned it. That endorsement didn't come easy," Obama said. "Senator McCain had to vote 90 percent of the time with George Bush and Dick Cheney to get it. He served as Washington's biggest cheerleader for going to war in Iraq, and supports economic

policies that are no different from the last eight years."

Cheney knows "that with John McCain you get a twofer: George Bush's economic policy and Dick Cheney's foreign policy

Last updated on Nov 2^nd, 2008 at 08:02 am IST--DPA