U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican John McCain traded criticisms Tuesday during campaign stops in Ohio.
During a speech detailing his education plan, Obama accused McCain of failing to propose or support any initiatives to improve the quality of education in the United States during his 26 years in Congress.
At a separate event, Senator McCain pledged to veto earmarks and pork barrel (special interests) spending if elected. He accused Senator Obama of asking for $1 billion in earmarks for the state of Illinois.
The latest national polls put McCain in a tie or slight lead over Obama since choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows the race for the White House virtually deadlocked, with 47 percent of registered voters for Obama and 46 percent for McCain.
It shows McCain received increased support from white women voters - a 12-point advantage - compared to Obama's eight-point lead before the Republican National Convention.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
