US:The issue of the economy moved centre stage yesterday as the two remaining Democrat candidates for the US presidential nomination vied for the upper hand in an increasingly acrimonious race.
With attention turning to the delegate-rich key primaries due on March 4th, in Texas and Ohio, Hillary Clinton attempted to stem the momentum built up by her opponent, Barack Obama, by releasing a 12-page compendium of her economic policies. Not to be outdone, Obama distributed his own booklet, titled Keeping America's Promise.
The pitch for both was the effect of the economic downturn on middle-class families and the working poor. Mrs Clinton focused on proposals to help families hit by soaring healthcare and education costs, rising oil prices and the mortgage crisis. Mr Obama addressed rising energy costs, home foreclosures and falling wages.
"We now have greater income inequality than any time since the Great Depression," he said in Ohio. "In the last year alone, 93 plants have closed in this state. And yet, year after year, politicians in Washington sign trade agreements that are riddled with perks for big corporations but have absolutely no protections for American workers."
His pitch for lower- and middle-income voters reflects the shift in a race that has seen him chip away at some of Ms Clinton's core support. It also represents a move to address the concerns of former candidate John Edwards, who has yet to endorse either of his former opponents.
In Wisconsin yesterday, which, along with Hawaii, held its primary, Mrs Clinton criticised the "two oilmen in the White House" and tax breaks for the well-off. "We need tax breaks for the middle class, not for the wealthy and the well-connected," she said.
A Clinton flyer in Wisconsin argued that Mr Obama's healthcare plan would leave 15 million Americans without cover, while Mr Obama blamed Ms Clinton's "hollering at Republicans" for her failure to reform healthcare during her husband's presidency.
He also used the economy to blunt an attack staged by the Clinton campaign on Monday, when it emerged he borrowed lines from another politician. Mrs Clinton's team argued that the incident "called into question the premise" of Mr Obama's candidacy. She said: "If your whole candidacy is about words, those words should be your own."
Mr Obama responded by criticising her past support for the North American Free Trade Agreement. "She says speeches don't put food on the table," Mr Obama said in Ohio. "You know what? Nafta didn't put food on the table, either." -