Washington, Oct 24 : Amid rumours that Democratic supporters might indulge in civil disobedience and protests in case their party candidate Barack Obama is defeated in the Nov 4 presidential polls, the Police here fear riots and are preparing to control the same.

“We always try to prepare for the worst,” said Oakland Police Separtment spokesman Jeff Thomason.

Washington, Oct 24: Former press secretary of George W Bush, Scott McClellan, has backed Democrat Barack Obama to triumph in the race for the White House.

McClellan made his declaration, which had been expected, during the taping of a CNN programme to be broadcast on Saturday.

“From the very beginning I’ve said I’m going to support the candidate who has the best chance of changing the way Washington works and getting things done,” the former White House spokesman told presenter DL Hughley.

“I will be voting for Barack Obama,” he said.

McClellan’s endorsement comes days after another prominent Republican, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, announced his support for Obama.

New York, Oct 24 : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is showing surprising strength among portions of the political coalition that returned George W. Bush to the White House four years ago.

A cross section of support that, if it continues for Obama through Election Day, would exceed that of Bill Clinton in 1992, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News polls.

Underscoring his increasing strength in the final phase of the campaign, Obama led his rival John McCain among groups that voted for President Bush four years ago: Those with incomes greater than 50,000 dollar a year; married women; suburbanites and white Catholics.

In a unique way to rally support for Barack Obama, the actor-turned-director Ron Howard reprises his role on “The Andy Griffith Show,” in a video posted Thursday on Funnyordie.com.

The Web video features iconic North Carolina actor Andy Griffith praising Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Griffith, a resident of Manteo, N.C., has made numerous ads for Democratic candidates, but the video is his first endorsement in a national race, and the only one he has done in character as Mayberry’s Sheriff Taylor.

If the beginning of this week had the former Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell, announcing his endorsement of Obama, the end of the week has former White House Press Secretary, Scott McClellan, going Obama’s way too.

The accomplished Bush loyalist no more who has an uncanny knack for dropping bombshells, did it this time around with his tell-all book about life and lies in President Bush’s inner circle. The book has McClellan bashing his former bosses in the Bush administration.

McClellan’s declaration of Obama endorsement, taped for a new weekend CNN show, “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News,” comes through his dramatic statement that he has a favorite in the presidential election, and “it is not John McCain.”

Washington, Oct 24 : Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama holds a 13-point lead over Republican rival John McCain, a new CBS News/New York Times poll shows.

Obama now leads McCain 52 percent to 39 percent among likely voters nationwide, roughly the same lead he held last week. Just five percent are undecided, and more than 9 in 10 of each candidate''s supporters say their mind is made up.