He continued to assail his rival in deeply personal terms.
But conservatives continued to assail the administration's approach to dealing with detainees.
The mayor's comments came as top officials continued to assail the Department of Homeland Security's handling of antiterrorism grants.
Democrats, at the White House and on Capitol Hill, continued to assail the Republican plan as a return to the policies of President George W. Bush.
Democrats continued to assail Mr. Brown's stewardship of the agency and expressed outrage over a private bipartisan briefing provided Tuesday night by cabinet officials.
They backed down after the public failed to rally behind them, but they continued to assail Mr. Chen in the legislature and the courts.
The coalition's withdrawal effectively turned the vote into a contest among moderate, conservative and ultraconservative Islamists, while ensuring that anti-Islamists would continue to assail the government's legitimacy whatever the outcome.
Mr. Obama continued to assail the philosophy of excessive deregulation that he said was the root cause of the crisis and made clear that the aftermath should include a new regulatory approach.
They intend to keep it an issue as the 2008 election heats up, just as they have continued to assail the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina, even two years after the storm.
