KETTERING — Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden painted a dire picture of the current state of the country, and placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of President George Bush and the Republican who wants to replace him, Sen. John McCain.

Biden, speaking Friday, Oct. 31, at Kettering Fairmont High School's Trent Arena called McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Bush's "economic sidekicks." Biden said there is no doubt that Americans are worse off today than four years ago.

"So the real question," said Biden, "is who is going to make you better off four years from now than you are today? And ladies and gentlemen, that answer is Barack Obama."

Biden drew a crowd of about 1,600 to the arena, which seats 3,600 and can hold 4,500 if people are standing on the floor. The crowd was much smaller than a Monday event at the arena with McCain, which drew an estimated 3,600.

But the smaller crowd didn't quash the enthusiasm of Obama/Biden supporters who attended the event.

John Dehaven, 52, of Clarksville, clad in an Obama T-shirt, predicted a landslide.

"I think he'll be elected president by 10 at night," he said.

Dehaven said he backed Obama because "he's for the middle class." "He's not for the richies," he said.

Others in the crowd said they were hopeful that Obama would win.

Mary Shearer, 44, an Oakwood caterer who wore an "Obamamama" T-shirt, said she was hopeful Obama would win. "I want to say that he has a good chance," she said.

"I'm tired of thinking that I'm going to lose everything every day I get up," she said.

Biden's speech drew a quick attack from the McCain campaign, which referred to him as an "irrelevant sideshow" in a press release.

Biden slammed McCain for proposing to tax health insurance benefits as income and for planning tax breaks for Big Oil. He said McCain offers no fundamentally different economic policies than Bush's failed ones.

Bush will be harshly judged by history for the mistakes he made and "opportunities he squandered," said Biden.

But, he said, pivoting from the bleak picture of current affairs, "we do not have to accept things as they are."

He asked the crowd to imagine a better America, where jobs stay here, kids go to college without incurring tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and where affordable health care is available to every American.

"Imagine an America that once again is respected in the world for the power of our example, as well as the example of our power," Biden said.

Biden called for people to unite and have hope.

"Folks I have never seen a time when so many Americans have been knocked down with so little regard on the part of the government for their plight," Biden said. "And folks it's time. It's time to get up, together, to bring the change we need to the country we love so much."

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Obama, Palin return to Ohio on Sunday

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will be in the Cincinnati area for rallies on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Sunday's Obama rally will be at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati, 2700 Bearcats Way. The event is open to the public and doors open at 6 p.m. The program begins at 9.

Tickets are not required, but you can RSVP at www.oh.barack

obama.com.

Parking is limited and normal rates will apply at University of Cincinnati parking facilities.

Palin will hold a rally Sunday night at the Clermont County Fairgrounds, 1000 Locust St., Owensville. The site is about 60 miles southeast of Dayton and 30 miles south of Lebanon. Doors open for the event at 5 p.m. The rally will start about 7.

Tickets are not required for the Palin event, but they are encouraged. You can get tickets at

30 W. Main St. in Lebanon.

Also Sunday, Obama will hold rallies at 1 p.m. in Columbus and at 5 in Cleveland. Bruce Springsteen will perform at the Cleveland event.

Palin will also have Sunday rallies at noon

in Canton, 2:30 in Marietta, and 8:30 in Cleveland.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden will be in northwestern Ohio today for a rally in Bowling Green.