Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama attacked potential White House opponent John McCain on the economy yesterday, accusing the Republican of favouring the wealthy and turning his back on struggling workers and middle-class families.
The Democratic presidential contenders, campaigning in Pennsylvania ahead of their April 22nd showdown, took a break from attacking each other to portray the Arizona senator as uncertain and untested on economic issues.
In separate appearances but similar language, they said Mr McCain would take his economic cues from President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
"John McCain admits he doesn't understand the economy - and unfortunately he's proving it in this campaign," Senator Clinton told the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO union group.
"After seven disastrous years of George Bush and Dick Cheney, the stakes in this election couldn't be higher and the need to change course couldn't be more urgent. But John McCain is only offering more of the same," she said.
Mr Obama, an Illinois senator, said all Mr McCain offers "is four more years of the same George W. Bush policies that have gotten us into this pickle."
He noted Mr McCain's support for extending Mr Bush's tax cuts, which mr Obama said would help the wealthy, and his support for trade agreements that Mr Obama said do not protect US workers.
"His response to the housing crisis amounts to little more than standing on the sidelines and watching millions of Americans lose their homes," Mr Obama said.
The winner of the Democratic nominating battle between Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama will face Mr McCain in November's election. In recent days both candidates have toned down their attacks on each other to focus more directly on Mr McCain.