With just over two weeks left before Election Day, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and President Bush criss-crossed Wisconsin Friday, trying to garner crucial swing-state votes by offering criticisms on the war in Iraq, voting records and the economy.
Kerry had a rigorous schedule Friday, starting with a rally in Milwaukee and ending with a speech at Lawrence University in Appleton.
Kerry began his day in Milwaukee by speaking about the state of the economy.
\My opponents say that telling the truth about the challenges we face is pessimistic,"" he said. ""I think the most pessimistic thing you can say is that America can't do any better than it's doing today.""
After discussing the economy, Kerry jabbed at his opponent, saying, ""After the last debate, I know one job that's open--George W. Bush's fact checker.""
Kerry then headed to Sheboygan, where he spoke to supporters alongside Gov. Jim Doyle and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.
Kohl said Kerry was the strongest and most stable man in the Senate.
Kerry claimed Bush's attack on his voting record was a way to distract voters.
""The reason he spends all his time attacking me is because he doesn't have a record to run on; he has a record to run from,"" he said.
Kerry finished up his Wisconsin tour in Appleton, where he discussed Bush's policies in Iraq. He said the United States needs to repair relations in the international community and build allies to be successful in the Middle East.
As Kerry campaigned throughout the state, Bush made a stop in Oshkosh, where he was joined by U.S. Senate candidate Tim Michels and U.S. Reps. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, and James Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls.
More than 10,000 people gathered to hear the President talk about the economy, Social Security and health care.
Bush strongly criticized Kerry's health care plan, saying it was ""an overpriced albatross"" that would stall Medicare and small businesses. Bush said, under his plan, all seniors would be eligible for Medicare by 2006.
He said the economy is improving, citing his tax cuts as the reason the country was able to avoid recession.
Bush also stressed the importance of the elections in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying they serve as proof that the United States is moving in the right direction.
-WisPolitics.com contributed to this report
