Obama hits back as Clinton heads to Wisconsin

WAUSAU, Wis (Reuters) - Barack Obama hit back at rivalHillary Clinton on Saturday as she prepared to join him inWisconsin, which stages the next Democratic presidential battlein three days.

Obama, a first-term Illinois senator, has beaten Clinton inthe last eight contests and gained the upper hand in their duelto become their party's White House nominee in November'selection.

Obama has spent four days in Wisconsin since his last roundof victories last Tuesday and has a slight lead in opinionpolls in the state. Clinton has focused on March 4 votes inOhio and Texas, hoping victories there will revive her hopes.

Obama launched another advertisement on Saturday respondingto Clinton's recent attacks. The New York senator hascriticized him as providing more talk than action, and airedtwo ads in Wisconsin this week attacking his refusal to debatein the state and his health care and retirement plans.

"After 18 debates, with two more coming, Hillary saysBarack Obama is ducking debates? It's the same old politics,"an announcer says in Obama's new ad. The two are scheduled todebate next week in Texas and the next week in Ohio.

"The question is not who has got the policies," Obama saidat a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. "The question is who canget them done, who can bring people together."

Obama and Clinton were to appear separately on Saturdayevening at a party dinner in Milwaukee. Clinton will campaignin the state on Sunday and Monday before Tuesday's vote.

Democrats in Hawaii also vote on Tuesday but Obama, who wasborn in the state, is expected to win there. Wisconsin andHawaii have a combined 94 delegates who select the nominee atthe party convention in August at stake.

Despite her absence so far, Clinton campaign officials saidthey will be competitive in the state. The most recent pollgave Obama a 5-point edge.

"We think that she's going to hold her own," Clintonadviser Harold Ickes told reporters.

Both candidates have recently focused on the economy. Ohioand Wisconsin are swing states with large populations ofblue-collar Democrats, a key part of Clinton's constituency.

Clinton also hopes to profit in Texas through her strengthwith Hispanics, expected to be at least one-quarter of thestate's Democratic vote.

'A FIGHTER'

"It is time we had a president who was a fighter, a doerand a champion for the American middle class," Clinton said onFriday during an economic round-table in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"This primary election offers a very big choice to thevoters of Ohio," she said. "You can choose speeches orsolutions."

Texas and Ohio have become "must win" states for Clinton,who trails Obama in the race for pledged delegates awarded bythe state-by-state contests to pick a Democratic nominee.

Ickes said Clinton would nearly catch Obama in the delegaterace if she won those two states and the two would be roughlyeven when the primary process ends in June. He said she wouldbattle all the way to the convention if necessary.

The ultimate winner could be determined by support from 796"superdelegates" -- party insiders and elected officials whoare free to back any candidate.

Republican front-runner John McCain took the day off onSaturday before claiming the endorsement of former PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush, the father of the current president, at anevent in Houston on Monday.

McCain is almost certain to be the Republican presidentialnominee for the November general election after defeating hismain rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and winninghis endorsement.

McCain's nearest rival is former Arkansas Gov. MikeHuckabee, who badly trails the Arizona senator in theRepublican delegate count.

(Additional reporting by Caren Bohan and Jim Wolf; Editingby Alan Elsner)