VOA标准英语10月-Republicans Adopt Aggressive Tactics Against Obam

Republicans are trying to change the focus of the U.S. presidential race between their candidate, Senator John McCain, and the Democratic nominee¹, Senator Barack Obama. A new wave of Republican attacks now target Senator Obama's background and raise questions as to whether he is fit to be president. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the presidential campaign from Washington.

Senator McCain's vice² presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, stepped up the attacks Monday during a campaign rally in Florida.
　

Gov. Sarah Palin gestures during a campaign speech in Clearwater, Florida, 6 Oct. 2008

Palin highlighted Obama's past links with a former 1960s radical³, Bill Ayers, who was part of the so-called Weather Underground that set off bombs in government buildings to protest the Vietnam War.

"His own top adviser⁴ said that they were, quote, certainly friendly," she said. "In fact, Obama held one of his first meetings of his political career in Bill Ayer's living room. I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America, as the greatest source for good in this world."

Ayers is now a college professor who lives in Obama's neighborhood in Chicago. Ayers served with Obama on two charity boards and hosted a reception for him in 1995.

Obama has denounced Ayer's radical past and the Obama campaign says the two men are not close.
　

Sen. Barack Obama speaks to media about the economy at The Grove5 Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, 6 Oct. 2008

During a campaign stop in North Carolina, Obama accused the McCain campaign of trying a new tactic⁶ in order to avoid talking about the weakened U.S. economy, which the polls suggest is the top issue for voters this year.

"His campaign has announced that they plan to, and I quote, turn the page on the discussion about our economy and spend the final weeks of this campaign launching Swiftboat-style attacks on me," he said.

The Obama campaign is also striking back at McCain. The campaign launched an Internet ad reminding voters that the Senate Ethics⁷ Committee rebuked⁸ McCain for using poor judgment⁹ because of his involvement with former banker Charles Keating, a convicted felon¹⁰ at the heart of the U.S. savings¹¹ and loan scandal of the late 1980s.

Surrogates for both candidates are predicting a nastier tone to the campaign as it enters the final weeks.

"He has been critical not only of the president, but of American policy, and he has kind of a negative view of America in the world," said Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson of New Mexico, who appeared on the CBS program Face the Nation.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California says she expects more personal attacks against Obama in the weeks to come. Feinstein also spoke¹² on Face the Nation.

"He's leading in the polls and he's leading in most of the battleground states, and this is going to be a month, I think, of character assassination," she said.
　

Sen. John McCain at a campaign event in Denver, 02 Oct 2008

Political experts say the focus on the U.S. financial crisis has helped Obama surge past McCain in public opinion polls. They say McCain will now try to shift the election debate away from the economy to questions about Obama's character.

"What this has done is refocus the campaign on pocket book issues, and historically that kind of focus helps Democrats," said Tom DeFrank, Washington bureau chief for the New York Daily News and a guest on VOA's Issues in the News program. "And we have seen in the last ten days a significant shift away from McCain and towards Obama, and I think it is directly related to the economic fears."

Senator McCain's next best opportunity to change the focus of the campaign comes Tuesday when he and Senator Obama meet for their second presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tuesday's debate will feature a town hall format¹³ where members of the audience will ask questions, a format that Senator McCain prefers.

Obama and McCain will take part in one last debate on October 15 at Hofstra University in New York. The election is November 4.

1 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

6 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

7 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

8 rebuked   

责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The company was publicly rebuked for having neglected safety procedures. 公司因忽略了安全规程而受到公开批评。
• The teacher rebuked the boy for throwing paper on the floor. 老师指责这个男孩将纸丢在地板上。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 felon   

n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的

参考例句：

• He's a convicted felon.他是个已定罪的重犯。
• Hitler's early "successes" were only the startling depredations of a resolute felon.希特勒的早期“胜利 ”，只不过是一个死心塌地的恶棍出人意料地抢掠得手而已。

11 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。