US election at-a-glance: 9 Oct

DAY IN A NUTSHELL

John McCain launches a new online ad accusing Barack Obama of hiding his links with Bill Ayers, an ex-member of former militant group Weather Underground. Mr Obama starts a two-day tour of Ohio in Dayton, where he criticises Mr McCain's proposal to buy up mortgages from troubled homeowners as a "risky idea".

KEY QUOTES

"But Obama's friendship with terrorist Ayers isn't the issue. The issue is Barack Obama's judgement and candour."
New McCain campaign attack ad

The only thing the American people can trust about Barack Obama is that he's too big a risk in a time of crisis Tucker Bounds McCain campaign spokesman US election at-a-glance: 8 Oct

"Taxpayers shouldn't be asked to pick up the tab for the very folks who helped create this crisis... That's the problem with Senator McCain's risky idea."
Barack Obama on the campaign trail in Ohio

"Three weeks of historic economic upheaval have done more than just tilt a handful of once reliably Republican states in Barack Obama's direction. Democratic strategists are now optimistic that the ongoing crisis could lead to a landslide Obama victory."
David Paul Kuhn, writing for the Politico news site

"The only thing the American people can trust about Barack Obama is that he's too big a risk in a time of crisis."
Tucker Bounds, McCain campaign spokesman

"Mr McCain's plan to transform Treasury into a major mortgage lender, and running the operation at a potential $300 billion loss, raises more questions than it answers."
Wall Street Journal opinion piece on Mr McCain's economic plan

NUMBER NEWS

Mr Obama spent $3.3m in TV advertising on Monday alone, the Associated Press reports, while Mr McCain's spending on adverts for the same day totalled about $900,000.

The latest Rasmussen daily poll of likely voters gives Barack Obama 50% support, compared with 45% for his Republican rival.

Meanwhile, the latest Gallup daily tracking poll suggests Mr Obama has 52% support to Mr McCain's 41%, unchanged from the day before.

A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll puts Mr Obama four percentage points ahead among likely voters nationwide, with 48% to Mr McCain's 44%.

DAILY PICTURE

Barack Obama says Mr McCain's plan to resolve the financial crisis will cost the taxpayer billions of dollars and reward lenders who acted irresponsibly