[img_assist|nid=1481|title=Cindy and John McCain at Capital University|desc=Politicker Photo|link=none|align=left|width=420|height=220]COLUMBUS – John McCain built the election as the choice between voting for the country or voting for Barack Obama today during a campaign rally.

In McCain’s first visit to central Ohio since July, he told supporters at Capital University that voting for him means voting for reforming the economic dangers that threaten the country while voting for Obama would essentially be a vote against the country.

“A vote for Senator Obama will leave this country at risk during one of the most severe challenges to America’s economy since the Great Depression,” McCain said. “That’s how we see this election: the country first or Obama first and I have a feeling I know which side you’re all on.”

McCain defended his decision to temporarily suspend his campaign last week and address the remedy to the financial crisis working its way through Congress.

“I went to Washington last week to make sure that the taxpayers of Ohio and this great country were not left footing the bill for mistakes made in Wall Street and evil and greed in Washington,” he said.

McCain then mocked Obama for “monitoring the situation” and “phoning it in” when it came to his involvement in the bailout last weekend.

McCain also said Obama voted twice to raise taxes on those making $42,000 or more while in the Senate, then lied to Friday’s debate audience when he said he never voted such away.

Sarah Palin stayed away from Obama to focusing on attacking Joe Biden, whom she’ll debate Thursday.

“I’ve never met him before but I’ve been hearing about his Senate speeches since, I was like in seventh grade,” she said.

Palin then attacked Biden over his comments last week in Ohio about coal.

“Just recently Senator Biden made it clear that in an Obama-Biden administration there would no use of clean coal at all,” Palin said to loud boos.

McCain said Biden is no Palin when it comes to change.

“His is not the heart of reformer,” McCain said. “We need the kind of reform that requires us to ruffle feathers and take on the entrenched special interests and that’s Governor Palin’s specialty my friends.”