Republican John McCain has stepped up his assault on Democratic rival Barack Obama as he campaigns energetically in the West, claiming a home-court edge in crucial battleground states in the region, the Associated Press reported.
The Arizona senator said: "I'm a fellow Westerner, I understand the issues, I understand the challenges the great Western states face."
McCain has continued to portray Obama - a senator from Illinois - as a tax-and-spend liberal certain to push for more government and higher spending, but he added a twist as he stumped through New Mexico and Texas.
He said Saturday that Obama has "never been south of the border," arguing that he has a feel for issues like water that resonate throughout the region.