Kerry Lays Into Bush

The Democratic presidential front-runner, John Kerry, criticised President George Bush today for seeking to split Americans over the question of gay marriage and accused him of leaving "a trail of broken promises".

Senator Kerry launched his attack in the wake of his latest primary victories in the western states of Utah, Idaho and Hawaii, which have increased his lead over his main rival, senator John Edwards, in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Looking ahead to a head-to-head contest with Mr Bush, Mr Kerry said he opposed gay marriage but favoured allowing states to determine their own laws.

He accused the president, who supports a constitutional amendment opposing same-sex marriage, of using a "wedge issue" to distract attention from concern over employment, education and other issues.

"I think he's a president in trouble and he's just looking for a political change of subject," Mr Kerry told Good Morning America on ABC. "He doesn't want to talk about the real issues in front of the nation."

Mr Kerry said the President had failed to deliver on pledges to create jobs, improve education and health care, control pollution, and keep the budget out of deficit. "The president is a walking contradiction. He's a trail of broken promises," he said.

Senator Edwards also criticised Mr Bush's stance on gay marriage.

"Washington has no business playing politics with this issue. Marriage is left to the states today, and should remain with the states," he said.

However, the focus of both the Edwards and Kerry campaigns was fixed firmly on employment today.

Mr Kerry met a group of unemployed people in Ohio, where more than 160,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost during the Bush presidency.

He proposed discouraging US companies from moving jobs to foreign countries by requiring them to give advance notice to the government and affected workers.

Mr Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, said he could not promise "all the rivers of steel will flow again", but insisted that there was a "need to encourage a corporate culture where companies provide a fair break for workers and a fair return for shareholders instead of a fast buck and a false bottom line".

Mr Edwards, who has based his campaign on opposition to trade pacts like the North American Free Trade Agreement, went to Atlanta to receive the endorsement of more than 30 state legislators.

It was the sixth campaign appearance in Georgia for Mr Edwards, who later visited Texas before beginning a three-day campaign through California ahead of "Super Tuesday" next week, when 10 states - including New York and California - hold primaries.