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Barack Obama turns focus to John McCain

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday previewed a general election fight with presumptive Republican nominee John McCain after cementing his Democratic front-runner status with yet another crushing defeat of White House rival Hillary Clinton.

After Obama picked up his ninth straight win with a primary victory in the midwestern state of Wisconsin, the Illinois senator sought to accentuate his differences with the maverick Republican and veteran politician.

Pressing his message of change and describing Washington as a place "where ideas go to die," the African-American senator promised to bring new energy to the political process and careful attention to domestic sore points like health insurance and home foreclosures.

"There are those who would say that you have to be wary about inspiration because you might be disappointed, who say that Obama may make a good speech, but what is really going to make a difference is how you work our government," Obama said. "The only way we will bring about real change in America is if we can bring new people into the process, if we can attract young people, if we can attract independents, if we can stop fighting with Republicans and try to bring some over to our side."

While McCain issued veiled warnings about empty promises of change but did not mention Obama by name, Obama saluted his Republican rival's record of serving in the military but accused him of embracing old, failed policies.

He said: "I revere and honor John McCain's service to this country. He is a genuine American hero. But when he embraces George Bush's failed economic policies, when he says that he is willing to send our troops into another 100 years of war in Iraq, then he represents the policies of yesterday.

McCain, in his victory speech, portrayed his knowledge of foreign policy as necessary for the safety of the country, and suggested his Democratic opponent was "inexperienced" and "confused."

Obama, in his speech, said that he was aware his vision wouldn't materialize immediately.

"What we're trying to do here is not easy and it will not happen overnight," Obama said.

"It is going to take more than big rallies ... because the problem that we face in America today is not the lack of good ideas. It's that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die."

"I want to end a politics based on fear that uses 9/11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a way to bring the country together against a common enemy. I want to rediscover the power of our diplomacy," he said.
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