Zanesville

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama: Politicker photoZANESVILLE -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) toured the Eastside Community Ministry earlier on Tuesday before announcing his new plan to expand federal faith-based charity initiatives, modeled on President Bush's programs of the past eight years.

But Obama admitted he hasn't been in this area of Ohio enough but said he's competitive against U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

"I haven't spent enough time here for people to understand what my agenda, what my platform is. If they have a chance to compare myself and John McCain, and say ‘who's going to make the most difference in my life?' I think we'll do very well," Obama said, adding that his health care plan is superior to McCain's plan.