GREENSBORO, North Carolina, Sept 7 (AFP) - Democratic White House contender John Kerry on Tuesday stepped up his shift in strategy by concentrating on President George W. Bush's economic record and the loss of US jobs.
"Because of George Bushs wrong choices, this country is continuing to ship good jobs overseas -- jobs with good wages and good benefits," Kerry said at a rally in this North Carolina city.
"All across America, companies have shut their doors, putting hardworking people out of a job, leaving entire communities without help or hope."
Kerry has in recent days concentrated on the jobs market, seen by many as a weak spot for Bush. The shift in focus came with the arrival on Kerry's team of former aides to ex-president Bill Clinton including one of his ex-spokesmen, Joe Lockhart.
Clinton has advised Kerry to attack Bush on the economy, according to US media, and to put less emphasis on his Vietnam war military service. At the Democratic Party convention in July, Kerry stressed his service and heroism to highlight his credentials to protect the United States from a terrorist threat.
Kerry on Tuesday also slammed Bush's fiscal policy which has seen the United States' deficit balloon.
"It is wrong to give tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas. So were going to set a new direction for America. Were going to close the tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas, and were going to reward companies that believe that American workers do the best job in the world," Kerry said.
"The other day, we were driving along the road in our campaign bus, and I saw a sign with a lone W leaning up against a post. At first, I was a little confused. But then, it all made sense," Kerry told the rally. W is a nickname for the president; it is his middle initial.
"As the president likes to say, theres nothing complicated about it. It does all come down to one letter -- W. George W. Bush. What do you think that W stands for? That W stands for wrong. Wrong choices, wrong direction for America.
"Thats W and thats Wrong. Wrong choices, wrong direction and we need to make it right," he said.