Obama criticises McCain for opposing flood prevention spending

MIAMI: The flood-ravaged communities of the Midwest became a new battleground in the presidential election as Democrat Barack Obama criticized Republican John McCain for opposing federal spending on flood prevention programs, attacks McCain's campaign called typical partisan politics.

Both candidates have visited the flood zones in the past two weeks, since heavy rains sent rivers surging over their banks, forcing thousands of people from their homes and inundating towns and cities along rivers in six U.S. states; at least 24 people have been killed and 148 injured since June 6.

Obama, an Illinois senator, canceled a visit to eastern Iowa last week at the request of state officials and instead went to fill sandbags in Quincy, Illinois. McCain, an Arizona senator, toured flood damage in Iowa on Thursday.

During a speech Saturday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami, Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, criticized McCain for opposing a measure to spend $23 billion on water projects. It passed Congress overwhelmingly and was vetoed by President George W. Bush because he said it spent too much on lawmaker's pet projects. Congress voted to override the veto, for the first time in Bush's presidency. Sunday, AP