McCain talks education at NAACP, Obama persists in security focus

WASHINGTON -- Republican John McCain reached out Wednesday to blacks with a message of boosting education in failing schools, a push before the U.S.'s oldest civil rights group to shore up support in a minority that has overwhelmingly favored Barack Obama, the Democrat seeking to become America's first black president.

McCain's appearance before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Cincinnati, Ohio comes as a new poll shows that U.S. racial divisions remain deep, although most Americans agree that the country is ready for a black president. Obama was affectionately welcomed when he spoke Monday to the NAACP.

Obama on Wednesday focused on fighting perceptions that McCain is better prepared to handle a military or national security crisis. He held a meeting of experts to lay out an exhaustive blueprint for keeping the country safe from threats ranging from nuclear attack to cyber terrorism.

The Democrat called for investing in methods to prevent, detect and contain biological attacks and said he would appoint a national cyber security adviser. He highlighted a proposal to spend $5 billion over three years to develop an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure to stymie terrorist networks.

"The danger ... is that we are constantly fighting the last war, responding to the threats that have come to fruition, instead of staying one step ahead of the threats of the 21st century," Obama said.

Hoping to gain inroads with African Americans, McCain told the civil rights organization he realizes the worst educational problems in the country are often found in schools in black communities and he will provide greater school choices and scholarships for such students, according to speech excerpts released in advance by his campaign.

"After decades of hearing the same big promises from the public education establishment, and seeing the same poor results, it is surely time to shake off old ways and to demand new reforms," he said.

He received mostly polite applause in a room with some empty seats, two days after Obama received a thunderous reception from a standing-room only audience.

Although Obama has made history as the first black presidential candidate of a U.S. major political party, a new poll released Wednesday suggests it has not influenced Americans' perception of race relations.

According to a New York Times/CBS News Poll released Wednesday, more than half of whites, 55 percent, said race relations are good, a finding that was virtually unchanged from a survey conducted in 2000. But only 29 percent of blacks said the same thing, also about the same as eight years ago.

Majorities of both whites and blacks -- about two-thirds -- agree the country is ready for a black president. But the perceptions of Obama break along racial lines, with 80 percent of blacks saying they had a favorable opinion of him compared to 30 percent of whites, the Times/CBS poll found.

For McCain, just 5 percent of black respondents had a favorable opinion of him, compared to 35 percent of whites, according to the poll.

Obama, who is battling to overcome perceptions he is inexperienced on national security issues, was taking with him to Purdue University a detailed plan for handling virtually every conceivable threat to the United States.

He was joined in West Lafayette, Indiana, by the state's popular Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh -- who supported Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries -- and former Sen. Sam Nunn, an acknowledged expert on arms control and nuclear proliferation. Both have been mentioned as possible running mates for Obama.

When asked if he were interested in the vice presidency or had provided material to Obama's vetters, Bayh repeatedly referred reporters to the Obama campaign. Nunn said he thought an Obama-Nunn ticket was unlikely, but he didn't rule it out.

As he prepares for an extensive trip abroad, including to Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama has focused sharply on those wars and foreign affairs so far this week.

Obama on Wednesday jabbed at President George W. Bush and fellow Republican McCain over the Iraq war.

"Instead of adjusting to the stateless threats of the 21st century, we invaded and occupied a state that had no collaborative relationship with al-Qaida," Obama said. "Instead of taking aggressive steps to secure the world's most dangerous technology, we have spent almost a trillion dollars to occupy a country in the heart of the Middle East that no longer had any weapons of mass destruction."

Obama and McCain had also clashed on Iraq and Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Obama charged, as he has since the Iraq war began, that it was a mistake and was diverting attention from a resurgent threat from Taliban militants and al-Qaida in Afghanistan. The Illinois senator also rejected McCain's assertions that the Bush administration's 18-month increase in troop strength in Iraq has been a success.

In reply, McCain belittled his younger rival, who he said was speaking about the war before traveling to Iraq to consult with Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces.

A poll this week showed Obama was maintaining an edge over McCain. The Quinnipiac University survey had Obama leading McCain by nine percentage points, 50-41. Two other national polls showed Obama with leads of six to eight percentage points.

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