Palin tours through state

FREDERICKSBURG — Gov. Sarah Palin dashed through three Virginia cities Monday, deriding Sen. Barack Obama as “Barack the wealth-spreader.”

Eight days before the presidential election, Sen. John McCain’s running mate held rallies in Leesburg, Fredericksburg and Salem, hoping to taper Obama’s margins in Northern Virginia and to build McCain’s lead in Southwest Virginia.

Obama returns to Virginia today for rallies in Harrisonburg and Norfolk in another sign of the tenacious fight for Virginia’s 13 electoral votes.

In Fredericksburg during a rainy midday rally, Palin took aim at Obama’s comments to “Joe the Plumber” in Ohio that “when you spread the wealth around” it’s good for everybody.

“Now is not the time to experiment with socialism,” Palin told the enthusiastic crowd of 5,000.

Palin kicked off the last full week of campaigning in Leesburg, talking taxes with “Tito the Builder” at her side.

Trying to focus the presidential race on middle-class families and small-business owners, Palin stood with Tito Munoz, a Colombian immigrant who rose to own a construction company in Prince William County.

Munoz, in his yellow hard hat and orange work vest fired up the audience estimated at 8,000 in forested J.R.’s Festival Lakes.

“Everything we stand for is in danger by higher taxes and less freedom,” Munoz said.

After contrasting the tax plans of Obama with those of McCain, Palin said the choice for voters should be clear.

“You can either do the math or go with your gut,” she said, “either way you draw the same conclusion, and that’s that Barack Obama is on the side of bigger, more controlling government.”

The crowd chanted, “Use your brain, vote McCain.”

Obama has proposed raising taxes on Americans earning more than $250,000 a year and cutting capital gains taxes for small business.

Del. Kristen J. Amundson, D-Fairfax, said in a statement from the Obama campaign, “Governor Palin again proved she’s good at distorting Barack Obama’s positions, but what she didn’t do today is provide an explanation for how John McCain’s economic policies would be any different than George Bush’s.”

Palin’s message resonated with voters like Claudia Hinger, of Purcellville, who said her vote comes down to the economy. Hinger works in a grocery and wants to be assured she’ll keep more of her paycheck under a new president.

“I’m scared; my family’s scared. I don’t want to be in a 12-year Depression,” Hinger said. “I feel if Obama became president, we’ll be in trouble.”

When the crowd started chanting “I am Joe” Palin remarked, “That’s good, you betcha.”

At midday, Mother Nature rained on Palin’s rally in Hurkamp Park in downtown Fredericksburg, soaking the 5,000 faithful to the skin, but not dampening their enthusiasm for their candidate.

Palin and her husband, Todd, entered the stage to the theme from “Rocky,” followed by the upbeat Dolly Parton anthem “Nine to 5.”

“This election is going to be close. It’s going to come down to the wire,” Palin told the crowd.

“Virginia, are you ready to help us carry this state to victory?” she said to enthusiastic applause.

Signs in the crowd included: “Change is Coming,” “No Redistribution, “Sarahcuda rocks,” “Keep Virginia Red” and “Dudes 4 Sarah.”

“She’s very down to earth, very truthful,” said Mike Beierle, 69, a retired Navy veteran and government worker. “She’s not pretentious at all.”

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, addressed the crowd, appealing to an underdog spirit that he well understands.

“John McCain has been written off in this election many times and here he stands and he’s going to win,” said Gilmore.

As blustery winds and a biting cold settled in under gray skies, Palin promised that she and McCain would “shake things up in Washington,” cut taxes, win the war in Iraq and get the economy back on track.

“By the way, I love this weather because it reminds me of home,” the Alaska governor said.

Jim Nolan and Rex Bowman are staff writers at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Staff writers Tyler Whitley and Neil H. Simon of Media General News Service contributed to this report.