The New Nation - Internet Edition

BBC Online

US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has warned that rival John McCain would "endanger" US security.

He said that the election winner would face security "tests", due in part to President George Bush's "bad policies".

His running-mate, Joe Biden, said at the weekend that Obama could face a "generated international crisis" within six months of becoming president.

McCain, the Republican candidate, said Biden's remarks proved Obama would be a risky presidential choice.

Opinion polls indicate that Obama is leading McCain with less than two weeks to go before the 4 November election.

American voters, this time round, are highly motivated

A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday gives Obama a 12-point lead over McCain, with 52% to his 40%.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll puts Obama on 52%, 10 points ahead of McCain, while a Gallup tracking poll has the Democrat ahead by eight points, with 52% to McCain's 44%.

However, an AP-GfK poll released on Wednesday suggests a much narrower margin, putting Obama only one point ahead, with 44% support to his rival's 43%.

Responding to attacks over Biden's comment on the likelihood that he would be "tested" by an international crisis, Obama said his running-mate "sometimes engages in rhetorical flourishes".

"His core point was, the next administration is going to be tested regardless of who it is," he told reporters.

"The question is: Will the next president meet that test by moving America in a new direction, by sending a clear signal to the rest of the world that we are no longer about bluster and unilateralism and ideology?"

Does McCain's inability to think on his feet, to go off the page, count against him?

Obama also accused John McCain of wanting to continue "the policies that have put our economy into crisis and endangered our national security".

The McCain camp rejected Obama's explanation, and accused him of lacking leadership.