Washington - The United States' teetering economic future was expected to be front and centre in the final debate Wednesday evening between Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and rival Republican candidate John McCain, who have spent the week sharpening their financial spears.

The round-table encounter at Hofstra University on Long Island outside New York City is seen by some as a last-chance bid by the centre-right McCain, 72, to rescue a flagging campaign.

New York, Oct. 15 : A CBS News/New York Times survey reveals that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has opened up a 14-point lead between himself and Republican rival John McCain.

Obama is entering the third and final presidential debate Wednesday with a wide lead over McCain nationally, the poll shows.

The Obama-Biden ticket now leads the McCain-Palin ticket 53 percent to 39 percent among likely voters. A week ago, that margin was just three points.

Washington, Oct 15 : Democratic candidate in the ensuing US presidential poll, Barack Obama’s high-tech campaign has entered into the popular racing video game “Burnout Paradise”.

Game-maker “Electronic Arts” confirmed that the Obama campaign ads were the real deal.

“Like most TV, radio and print outlets, we accept advertising from credible political candidates,” foxnew. com quoted EA spokeswoman Holly Rockwood as telling the tech blog GigaOm.

Washington, Oct. 14 : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama now holds a double-digit lead over Republican rival John McCain in the key battlground states Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin and carries a nine-point advantage over his Republican rival in Colorado, according to poll conducted by Quinnipiac University on behalf the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

The latest Washington Post/ABC News survey put Obama at 53 percent to McCain''s 43 percent, while the daily Gallup tracking poll showed Obama holding a similar lead of 51 percent to 41 percent on Monday.

Washington, Oct 14 :Voters supporting Senator Barack Obama want him to appoint former First Lady and one time presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton to the U. S. Supreme Court if he wins the White House.

"I would have liked to see her win, but I''m not wistful. We''d love to see her on the Supreme Court if he would ask her," the Washington Times quoted Grace Block, 77, as saying.

Washington, Oct. 14 : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has proposed new measures to put the American economy back on track, including adding 60 billion dollars in new tax breaks and other benefits to his economic stimulus plan.

According to The Telegraph, the other costly new proposals include:

A temporary tax credit for firms that create jobs in the U. S.

Penalty-free 401(k) and IRA withdrawals through 2009, to allow families to withdraw up to 15 percent of their savings, up to $10,000.