US Presidential hopeful Mr John Kerry has rejected charges his votes in the US Senate were influenced by campaign contributions, saying he had spent his whole career battling special interests.
Speaking to reporters after accepting the endorsement of Michigan Govenor Ms Jennifer Granholm, Mr Kerry said he would put his record up against any of the Democratic candidates seeking the chance to run against President George W. Bush in November.
Michigan holds a primary next Saturday. Mr Kerry is now making a seven-state campaign swing in advance of the Democratic contests on Tuesday.
But the reports that he had accepted thousands of dollars in contributions from lobbyists dogged him through the day, which he began in Missouri before a boisterous rally, launching his own attack on Mr Bush for allowing "lobbyists and special interests" to influence White House policy.
Mr Kerry said he had accepted no money from political action committees or "special interests" and that no vote of his was ever influenced by a campaign contribution. "No one has even suggested that I've done other than to take them on," he said.
Mr Kerry was responding to comments by his main rival, former Vermont governor Mr Howard Dean, who was the front-runner in the Democratic race until Kerry won the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Criticizing Mr Kerry, Mr Dean told reporters in Tucson: "It turns out we've got more than one Republican in the Democratic race. I've already said I thought (retired Gen.) Wes Clark was a Republican and now apparently John Kerry has the same financing habits."