Obama’s last stop — Ohio

Charles Babington

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND – President Barack Obama made Ohio his final campaign stop Sunday in the tumultuous midterm elections, trying to help hard­pressed Democrats in a state that could prove crucial to his fortunes.

Republicans said it was too little and too late, confident their party will pick up more than 40 House seats and regain the majority they lost four years ago. Republican control of the Senate seems less likely, although they expect to gain several seats there, as well as numerous governors’ seats.

Obama, bracing for perhaps one of the biggest midterm setbacks in recent times, made a four-state weekend sprint to help embattled Democrats as best he can. He said their chances are good if supporters turn out heavily.

But Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, predicted voters will send a sobering message: “You blew it, President Obama. We gave you the two years to fulfill your promise of making sure that our economy starts roaring back to life again.”

As he did in three other states this weekend, the president implored vot­ers in Ohio to recall how poorly the Republicans handled the economy when they were in control, and to give Democrats more time.

“It’s up to you to remember that this election is a choice between the poli­cies that got us into this mess and the policies that are leading us out of this mess,” he told about 8,000 people at Cleveland State University.

Obama said Republicans would return to policies that cut taxes for bil­lionaires, cut regulations for special interests and “cut loose” middle-class families to fend for themselves.

But Republicans see Tuesday’s vote shaping up as a stern public rejection of two more years of Democratic control.

“What the American people are look­ing at and they’re saying is, ‘The Obama policies aren’t working. We need new policies, we need an economic-growth agenda,’ ” said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican Governors Association.