Democrats Scramble to Exploit Vice-president's Backing for Rival

Barack Obama's team moved quickly to exploit what it viewed as a late and unexpected campaign gift - the endorsement of John McCain in a rare public appearance by the vice-president, Dick Cheney.

In contrast with President George Bush's absence from the campaign trail at the weekend, Cheney flew to his home state, Wyoming, to speak at a rally in support of the Republican ticket.

"John is a man who understands the danger facing America," Cheney told a rally in Laramie on Saturday. "He's a man who has looked into the face of evil and not flinched, he's a man who is comfortable with responsibility, and has been since he joined the armed forces at the age of 17. He has earned our support and confidence, and the time is now to make him commander in chief."

The endorsement may help McCain among loyal Republicans, but not with Americans disenchanted with the Bush-Cheney administration, or among independents angry over the stewardship of the past eight years.

McCain has been at pains to distance himself from the administration, pointedly saying in the final presidential debate that he was not Bush.

Obama's team, whose campaign theme is that McCain would represent a continuation of the Bush-Cheney administration, put out an ad within 90 minutes of Cheney's endorsement, as well as placing a clip of Cheney's speech on YouTube. The 30-second ad says: "Barack Obama. Endorsed by Warren Buffett and Colin Powell. And John McCain's latest endorsement?"

Cheney had announced his endorsement for McCain before, but, like Bush, had been largely absent from the campaign trail during the past two months. His decision to participate in the Laramie rally at the weekend was prompted partly by a desire to speak on behalf of Republican congressional candidates and to deliver what amounted to an emotional look back on his career. He will retire from politics on inauguration day, January 20.

He told the rally he had begun campaigning for a place in Congress in 1978. "I've had a long career in politics, though today, looking back, it seems to have passed in the blink of an eye."

He devoted most of his speech to praising the congressional candidates, but included passages on McCain, and, in particular, Sarah Palin, who is closer to Cheney's brand of conservatism, saying of her: "I'm pleased that he has chosen a running mate with executive talent, toughness and common sense."