Hillary joins Obama’s bid

Barack Obama aimed to put another dent in John McCain’s comeback hopes with a double-bill rally in Florida with ex-foe Hillary Clinton to kick off a frenetic final fortnight of the White House race.

Barack Obama on Monday aimed to put another dent in John McCain’s comeback hopes with a double-bill rally in Florida with ex-foe Hillary Clinton to kick off a frenetic final fortnight of the White House race.

HT Image

The rally is part of a three-day campaign offensive by the Democratic nominee’s team in the electorally crucial southern state, as they hope to lock in an advantage with the start of early voting in the state on Monday.

The new offensive comes after Obama inflicted a demoralising string of blows on his Republican rival over the weekend in the final stretch.

The Democratic nominee will spend much of the week charging through what was nominally Republican territory, seeking to convert his lead on the electoral map and clear opinion poll edge into a big victory over McCain.

In Florida, Obama and Clinton were to headline a joint rally and several separate events, pitching for a state which had looked solid for McCain, but where a wave of mortgage foreclosures offer the Democrats an opening.

The former first lady is highly popular in the Sunshine State and trounced Obama in the Democratic primary there.