Palin in wisconsin: Obama points a finger to blame,but did he ever Lift a finger to change?

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (AP) - John McCain went after Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday for saying that paying more in taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans.

"Raising taxes in a tough economy isn't patriotic. It isn't a badge of honor," McCain said at a Republican rally in Ashwaubneon. "It's just plain dumb."

The line elicited the loudest applause of the night for the McCain, who spoke to a crowd that nearly filled the 11,000-seat Resch Center.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who spoke before McCain, took on Barack Obama, accusing him of perpetuating "the worst of politics."

Palin pointed to comments Obama's been making this week on the campaign trail, urging his supporters to argue with those who disagree and "get in their face."

"That doesn't sound like the politics of hope or the politics of change to me," Palin said, referring to Obama's campaign themes. "What that sounds like is the worst of politics."


McCain, a 26-year veteran of Congress, hit on his campaign themes of being a maverick who can bring change to Washington by taking on his own party and the Bush administration when necessary. He said Obama's idea of reform was to do what his party leaders tell him to.

"That's the kind of me-first, country-second politics that's broken in Washington, D.C.," McCain said. "Sen. Obama isn't change. He's part of the problem with Washington."

"this election is between putting country first or Obama first''

McCain ended his speech by describing how he was given an envelope at the airport in Green Bay by Cheryl Lee Patrick of Ladysmith. Her son Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Lee Lybert was killed in 2006 in Afghanistan. McCain held up Lybert's dog tags, which he said were inside the envelope.

"I know that I can make sure that his sacrifice was not in vain because I will always put my country first," McCain said.