McCain: Obama policies will deepen recession

Lagging in the polls, Republican presidential candidate John McCain unleashed a blistering attack Monday on his Democratic rival, saying the race comes down to a simple question: “Country first or Obama first?”

In his first public appearance since Friday night’s debate, McCain said Democrat Barack Obama advocates tax-and-spend policies that “will deepen our recession,” and voted against funding for equipment needed by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“That is not putting the men and women of our military first,” he said.

Later in the day, after a stunning rejection by the House of a bailout of the financial industry, McCain said Obama and his allies had “infused unnecessary partisanship” into the effort to steady the economy.

“Now is not the time to fix the blame; it’s time to fix the problem,” he said, speaking to reporters in Iowa.

He urged lawmakers to return to work immediately to pass legislation. Aides said he would return to Washington when he could help.

Earlier, McCain stressed his own record of opposing Republicans on key issues.

“When it comes time to reach across the aisle and work with members of both parties to get things done for the American people – my opponent can’t name a single occasion in which he fought against his party’s leadership to get something done for the country. That is not putting the interests of the country first.”

Obama’s campaign issued a swift rebuttal that accused McCain of an “angry diatribe” that it said “won’t make up for his erratic response to the greatest financial crisis of our time.”