McCain attacks on tax and spend

John McCain enjoyed success on his Straight Talk Express campaign bus

US presidential hopeful John McCain is criss-crossing the key state of Florida in what he calls a "Joe the Plumber" bus tour aimed at blue collar voters.

Mr McCain has been criticising Mr Obama's tax and spending plans and pushing his own tax cut proposals at informal stops along his route.

Senator Obama is flying to Hawaii later on Thursday to visit his ill grandmother after speaking in Indiana.

He has condemned Mr McCain's tax plans, saying they don't help ordinary people.

Obama said Mr McCain's "fundamental economics" was "just another name for Wall Street first, Main Street last".

"John McCain likes to talk about Joe the Plumber, but he's in cahoots with Joe the CEO," he told a rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday.

Mr McCain is campaigning in the key I-4 corridor in central Florida, travelling from the Atlantic coast to Sarasota on the Gulf of Mexico.

We want you to get wealthy John McCain Doubts over Joe the Plumber

Florida, the fourth-largest state with 27 votes, was won by the Republicans in 2000 and 2004, but is now up for grabs.

Polls show the Obama campaign with a narrow lead in the state, with the latest Quinnipiac poll showing him ahead of Senator McCain by 49% to 44%, down from an 8% lead two weeks ago.

The Democrats have been bombarding Florida with TV campaign ads, outspending the Republicans by four to one in key media markets, and both Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama have campaigned intensively in the state.

Sharing the wealth

The Republicans are stepping up their attacks on Mr Obama as a tax-and-spend Democrat who wants to share the wealth.

"He's more concerned about using taxes to spread the wealth than creating a tax plan that creates jobs and grows our economy," Senator McCain told a cheering crowd at an Ormond Beach, Florida lumber yard, many of whom were waving "Joe the Plumber" T-shirts.

And campaigning in Ohio, Sarah Palin struck a similar theme.

"He's hiding his real agenda of redistributing your hard-earned money," the Republican vice-presidential candidate told a rally on Wednesday. "It doesn't sound like many of you are going to be supporting Barack the Wealth Spreader in this election."

And Mr McCain said that "Sarah Palin and I will not raise your taxes, my friends. We want you to get wealthy."

With the economy as the top issue in the campaign, Mr McCain is trying to reverse Mr Obama's lead as the candidate who best understands middle class concerns.

He is also trying to appeal directly to blue-collar men, who have been a bedrock of Republican support but are now swinging towards the Democrats.

Unfair attacks

Meanwhile, Barack Obama has attacked the McCain campaign for using smear tactics.

In a US television interview on Thursday, Mr Obama said that he could not imagine saying about an opponent some of the things that his Republican rival, John McCain, has been saying about him.

He particularly criticised the Republican charges that he is "socialistic" and that he "pals around with terrorists".

The Republicans have been criticised for warning voters of Mr Obama's links to former Weatherman Bill Ayers in a series of automated phone calls in swing states.

But the McCain campaign said that their characterisations were factually accurate.