HOBBS, New Mexico, Oct 11 (AFP) - The rival campaign bandwagons of President George W. Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry pulled into New Mexico Monday, as both candidates sought to corral undecided voters in this hotly-contested western state.
The frontier state, which borders Mexico to its south, Texas to its east, and Arizona to its west, was won by Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000 by a razor-thin margin of just 400 votes out of 575,000 ballots cast.
New Mexico, which carries five electoral college votes out of a total 538, is home to many Hispanic voters.
The president lost no time Monday in criticising his opponent.
"With a straight face, he said he had only one position on Iraq. He must think we're on another planet," Bush said at a campaign stop at this small town on New Mexico's border with Texas, where the president owns a ranch.
Bush also lambasted Kerry's healthcare positions.
"With another straight face, he tried to tell Americans that when it comes to his health care plan, and I quote, 'The government has nothing to do with it.'
"The facts are that eight out of 10 people who get health care under Senator Kerry's plan would be placed on a government program. He can run, but he cannot hide," Bush thundered.
Both candidates arrived in the state ahead of their third and final televised debate on Wednesday in Tempe, Arizona.
Kerry is due to give a speech on energy issues later Monday to an audience in Sante Fe, New Mexico's capital.
Bush was governor of Texas from 1994 until 2000, when he won the US presidency.