By Mike Foley
Columbus, OH – Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plans to visit central Ohio tomorrow. Campaign officials say the candidate's Zanesville appearance will include a church program that provides food, clothing, and emergency assistance to needy families.
Obama's Republican rival John McCain held fundraisers and town hall meetings last week in Cincinnati and northeast Ohio, where he admitted the war in Iraq has been badly mishandled, but also insisted that things have improved.
"We are succeeding there. It's been a great sacrifice of American blood and treasure. We will be able to withdraw, but we will wtihdraw with honor and with victory, not with defeat because we have set some artificial time table," McCain said.
Senator Obama maintains that it's time to begin a responsible, gradual exit from Iraq.
"It is time to rebuild our military, it's time to rebuild our attention on the war we have to win in Afghanistan, it's time to go after the Al Qaeda leadership where it actually exists, it is time to bring this war in Iraq to a close," Obama stated.
Tuesday's visit will be Obama's second to Ohio since nailing down enough delegates for the Democratic nomination. Obama met with seniors in Columbus on June 13th.