Obama thanks McCain for remarks

US: Democrat Barack Obama praised his rival John McCain for toning down the vitriol of the U.S. presidential race on Saturday but pressed an effort to cast him as out of touch on the economy.

With just over three weeks left before the Nov. 4 election, polls showed a growing lead for Obama, 47, as voters anxious over the turmoil on Wall Street have given the Democratic candidate higher marks for economic leadership.

A street-fair atmosphere prevailed at a series of neighborhood rallies, as Obama spoke on outdoor stages decorated with giant American flags.

But before launching into his attack, Obama thanked McCain for having tried to "tone down the rhetoric" of his campaign.

The Illinois senator was responding to an incident on Friday in which Arizona Sen. McCain urged one of his backers to take a milder tone.

On the issue of character, Obama returned the compliment, calling McCain honorable and invoking his service in Vietnam, where he was tortured as a prisoner of war."I'm one who believes that we can all respect each other, even when we disagree, especially when it comes to a veteran of our wars because those folks lay down their lives to protect us," Obama said.

Philadelphia,Sunday, Reuters