A Hard-Hitting Final Round

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McCain, Obama Spar in Final Debate

Less than three weeks before election day, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama debated from Hofstra University in New York. The event was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.

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Obama added: "This is the most important issue that our future economy is going to face."

When McCain tried to make it an issue of free trade, Obama said: "I believe in free trade. But I also believe that for far too long, certainly during the course of the Bush administration with the support of Senator McCain, the attitude has been that any trade agreement is a good trade agreement."

McCain criticized Obama for opposing a trade agreement with Colombia, and said "free trade with Colombia is something that's a no-brainer. But maybe you ought to travel down there and visit them and maybe you could understand it a lot better."

"Actually, I understand it pretty well," Obama shot back.

McCain also brought up Obama's relationship with the community organizing group ACORN, which is being investigated in several states in connection with voter registration irregularities.

McCain said the group is "on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."

Obama responded that ACORN's voter registration problems "had nothing to do with us. We were not involved. I think the fact that this has become such an important part of your campaign, Senator McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me."

Barnes reported from Washington. Staff writer Shailagh Murray in Hempstead contributed to this report.