The US Democratic Party presidential contenders have made a frantic late push for votes in New Hampshire and sparred over who offers the best chance of beating George W. Bush in November.
Two days before the primary in a state known for late momentum shifts and independent decision-making, Mr John Kerry shrugged off his big lead in polls, defended his legislative record and attacked rival Howard Dean.
Mr Dean renewed his criticism of the Iraq war, saying the living standard in Iraq "is a whole lot worse now than it was before," and said his rivals' promises to balance budgets, improve education and provide health insurance while also cutting middle-class taxes were "a lot of hooey."
Three other Democrats - Mr Wesley Clark, Mr John Edwards and Mr Joseph Lieberman, scrambled to make a late charge and send their campaigns into next week's round of contests with new momentum.
Mr Kerry, who has largely ignored Mr Dean since winning Iowa last Monday, went door to door to woo voters in frigid Merrimack, New Hampshire, and campaigned with Democratic icon Edward Kennedy, his fellow senator from Massachusetts.
Kerry noted that |Mr Dean, the former Vermont governor, criticised him earlier this week for voting to authorise the war in Iraq. "I wonder when he's going to stop running the negative campaign he said he was going to stop running?" Kerry asked on "Fox News Sunday."
He also deflected Republican charges that his voting record in Congress was too liberal, calling it "flattery."
Mr Kerry holds a 7-point advantage over Mr Dean in the latest poll in New Hampshire, but that is down 2 points from Saturday. Recent polling has shown Mr Dean stopping the slide that began after his disastrous third-place finish in Iowa and his much-lampooned screaming concession speech.