US:The Democratic presidential race has seen its sharpest exchanges to date as Barack Obama adopts a new, aggressive approach to what his campaign views as dishonest attacks by Hillary Clinton.
As former president Bill Clinton campaigned in black neighbourhoods in South Carolina yesterday, Mr Obama stepped up his charge that both Clintons were playing fast and loose with the truth.
"If you get the kind of looseness with the facts that Senator Clinton's displayed and you're willing to say anything to get a political or tactical advantage - that erodes people's trust in government," he said in a conference call with reporters.
"It makes them cynical. It's part of the perpetual campaign that is how Washington all too often operates these days and it keeps us from solving problems."
At a debate in the South Carolina coastal resort of Myrtle Beach on Monday night, Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton clashed repeatedly as they lobbed increasingly personal charges at one another. Mr Obama was the first to attack, referring to Mrs Clinton's legal work on behalf of WalMart, but the former first lady shot back a few minutes later, bringing up Mr Obama's links to a "slum landlord" who has been indicted for fraud. As Mr Obama accused Mrs Clinton of twisting his statements about everything from Ronald Reagan's legacy to the reform of the social security system, she replied that he was being slippery about his own voting record.
"You know, Senator Obama, it is very difficult having a straight-up debate with you, because you never take responsibility for any vote, and that has been a pattern," she said.
After the debate, Mr Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod told The Irish Timesthat the Clintons had used "wilful distortions of fact or flat-out falsehoods" to attack the Illinois senator.
"We're serving notice that we're not going to roll over, and we're not going to simply let it pass because if we do, we're essentially allowing the prevailing system of politics in Washington to continue," he said.
Although Mr Obama won more delegates after last week's Nevada caucus, Mrs Clinton won the popular vote and Mr Axelrod acknowledged that the attacks had influenced the outcome.
"I think absolutely they had an effect. I don't think anybody would dispute that. I feel fortunate that the people of Nevada were willing to resist to the point that we received more delegates than she did, so we felt we got a good split decision out of that state. But it was a warning sign that these folks are basically willing to do or say anything and we've got to be prepared for that," he said.
Speaking to reporters in Washington yesterday, Mrs Clinton brushed aside Mr Obama's criticism, claiming that he was simply rattled by her victories in the two most recent contests. "I think what we saw last night was that he's very frustrated," she said.
"He clearly came - he telegraphed it, he talked about it - he clearly came last night looking for a fight. He was determined and launched right in. And I thought it was important to set the record straight."
Mr Obama enjoys a double-digit lead in South Carolina, which holds its Democratic primary next Saturday and Mrs Clinton is spending most of this week outside the state, campaigning in California and Arizona and raising money in New York. Her husband was in the state yesterday, however, courting the African-Americans who accounted for half of South Carolina's Democratic electorate in the 2004 primary.
South Carolina is one of the most racially polarised states in the US, with 78 per cent of whites voting for George W Bush in 2004 and 85 per cent of blacks voting for John Kerry. Although African-Americans make up more than a quarter of the state's population, the state has never elected a black governor, lieutenant-governor or US senator and the Confederate flag still flies in the grounds of the State Capitol in Columbia.
Myrtle Beach rolled out a lavish welcome for Monday's debate, which was sponsored by the congressional black caucus, but only two years ago the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People was suing the town for discriminating against African-American tourists.
Phone-ins on black radio stations in South Carolina reflect overwhelming support for Mr Obama among African-Americans and the Clinton campaign is downplaying expectations in advance of Saturday's primary.
On Monday, the candidates avoided any disagreement on the issue of race, but when Mr Obama was asked about poet Toni Morrison's description of Bill Clinton as "the first black president", he said he needed more evidence. "I would have to investigate more Bill's dancing abilities and some of this other stuff before I accurately judged whether he was, in fact, a brother," Mr Obama said to laughter from the audience.
"I'm sure that can be arranged," Mrs Clinton said.