Turning to the US, where President Barack Obama has visited Ohio on the latest leg of his mid-term election campaign trail. His visit aimed to boost support for the Democrats and stem an expected Republican tide ahead of Tuesday's congressional election.

US President Barack Obama was joined by Vice President Joe Biden on his visit to Cleveland on Sunday. It marked the final stop of a four-state weekend effort to hold back the Republican wave that many observers are forecasting.

US president Barack Obama said, "Their basic political strategy has been to count on you having amnesia. They're betting all of you forgot how we got here. Well, Cleveland, it's up to you to let them know we have not forgotten. It's up to you to remember that this election is a choice between the policies that got us into this mess and the policies that are leading us out of this mess."

Republicans billed Tuesday's midterm elections as a referendum on Obama's economic policies.

Former Alaskan governor Saran Palin said, "We know that the stimulus, the nearly trillion dollars that were spent just created more debt did not work and yet he still talks about more bailouts, more stimulus. The path that he has put us on is a path towards insolvency. The message sent to the president will be - No more, no more business as usual."

Obama and his Democrats have a hard sell in an election year. The jobless rate remains stuck near 10 percent under the weight of an economy that is only creeping out of a deep recession.

Democrats tried to play down the potential losses.

Democrat Senator Robert Menendez said, "Our candidates for the US Senate have been ready for this and have been creating the contrast in each election between their Republican opponent who wants to bring us back to the economic policies that brought us into this mess in the first place and their own policies that are working to get us out of it."

Republicans have promised to repeal the president's health care law and roll back other initiatives.

Across the country, recent polls suggest that Obama's personal popularity remains comparatively high. But he could lose crucial seats if those supporters fail to turn support into votes.

In the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are up for election, at least 65 are at risk of changing political hands. Republicans need 39 to win back control of the House.

In the Senate, Republicans need to net 10 of the 37 seats up for election.

Go to Forum >>0 Comments