U.S. President Barack Obama is returning to Washington after a four-day, five-state trip to campaign for Democratic Party candidates. Democrats are struggling to keep Republicans from taking control of Congress and many state governorships.
With Democrats facing the possibility of big losses in the November 2 elections, President Obama has gone on the road.
He is trying to persuade Democrats to be as enthuastic in voting for their party's candidates for Congress and state governor this year as they were in electing him in 2008.
The last stop on Mr. Obama's Western trip was the University of Minnesota, where he urged supporters to register and vote for the party's candidate for governor (Mark Dayton), who is clinging to a slight lead. "You can register any time between now and election day. There is no excuse. Because if everybody who fought for change in 2008 votes in 2010, then Mark will win his election," he said.
One of the main stops on the trip was Las Vegas, Nevada. On Friday, the president campaigned for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is in jeopardy of losing his seat to Tea Party Republican Sharron Angle.
"You know, Harry's not the (most flamboyant) guy, let's face it. You know, Harry kind of speaks in a very soft voice. He doesn't move real quick. He doesn't get up and make big stem-winding speeches. But Harry Reid does the right thing," he said.
In Las Vegas, as in all his campaign speeches, Mr. Obama compared the Democrats to an automobile's forward Drive gear, and the Republicans to the Reverse setting.
"You ever notice when you want to go forward in your car, what do you do? You put it in 'D.' If you want to go backwards, you put it in 'R.' I do not want to go backwards. Let's go forward," he said.
In the Republicans' weekly address Saturday, South Dakota Senator John Thune said the Democrats are moving forward, but in the wrong direction. "It is a clever line. But when you are speeding toward a cliff, you do not want to keep the car in 'Drive'," he said.
Many polls predict a likely Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, and a remote chance that the Democrats could also lose the Senate. A Republican majority in Congress would make it very difficult for Mr. Obama to advance many of his priorities, such as climate change legislation and immigration reform.
The president's busy campaign schedule will continue until election day on November 2. In the final week before the vote, he will campaign for Democrats in the states of Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio.
Watch President Obama's weekly address:
