Obama said voting for McCain would mean four more years of Bush's policies [AFP]

And he went on the attack against his Republican rival, John McCain, reiterating warnings that voting in the Arizona senator would mean four more years of Bush's policies.

"John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

'Voting with Bush'

"But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 per cent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 per cent chance on change," the Illinois senator said.

Obama paid tribute to his former rival, Hillary Clinton, and her husband, Bill Clinton, the former president, in a push for party unity early in his speech as the Democrats gear up for the battle for the White House on November 4.

And he spent a good chunk of his speech addressing what many polls suggest is the greatest concern among voters: the economy.

He said "economic turmoil" highlighted by soaring home foreclosures, plummeting house values and rising fuel prices were "not all of government's making".

"But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W Bush," he said.

Details of change

"Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and by the way John McCain has been there for 26 of them. And in that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. Today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

In focus

Saying he would tap the country's "natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power", Obama also promised to invest $150bn over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels.

But he also said that there needed to be "a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us ... each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient".

On defence and security – considered by many to be McCain's forte – Obama said he was ready to debate McCain on "who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief".
 
"For while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face," he said.

The Democratic candidate spoke in front of 84,000 supporters

"And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration, even after we learnt that Iraq has a $79bn surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

"If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice but it is not the change that America needs."

Obama said he would "end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan".

"But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons... And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future."

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