By Caren Bohan
COLUMBUS, Mississippi (Reuters) - Barack Obama on Mondayridiculed rival Hillary Clinton's repeated hints she would takehim for the No. 2 spot on her presidential ticket, accusing herof playing political games in their hard-fought Democraticnominating race.
Obama, campaigning in Mississippi ahead of the state'scontest on Tuesday, said he has won more states than Clintonand is leading in delegates who will decide the Democraticcandidate to face Republican John McCain in November.
"I don't know how somebody who is in second place isoffering the vice presidency to somebody who is in firstplace," Obama, an Illinois senator, told supporters. The crowdbooed when he mentioned Hillary's idea.
"I'm not running for vice president. I am running forpresident of the United States of America," Obama added. "I amrunning to be commander in chief."
Obama said the former first lady was playing a politicalgame, denigrating his abilities at the same time she promotedthe idea of placing him in a secondary role.
"I do not believe Senator Clinton is about change becausein fact this kind of gamesmanship -- talking about me as vicepresident, but maybe he's not ready for commander in chief --that's exactly the kind of double-speak, double-talk thatWashington is very good at," he said.
Clinton, who would be the first woman U.S. president, hasraised the idea of a joint ticket with Obama several timessince she saved her campaign with big wins in three of fourcontests last week, including the states of Ohio and Texas.
In raising the idea, analysts said, Clinton is attemptingto talk up with voters her spot on the top of the joint ticketeven though even though she lags behind Obama in the close racefor the party's nomination.
As she continued to hammer him as unready for the OvalOffice and too inexperienced to handle the task of commander inchief, her campaign on Monday lined up former military officersto question Obama's national security credentials .
Obama took note of Clinton's repeated attacks and said thevice president's primary role would be to take over if thepresident died or was incapacitated.
"If I'm not ready, how is it that you think I would be sucha great vice president? Do you understand that?" he asked.
Asked about the contradiction of touting Obama as a vicepresidential candidate while condemning his ability to lead,Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson implied there was still timefor Obama to prove himself before the August DemocraticPartyconvention in Denver.
'LONG WAY TO GO'
"We do not believe Senator Obama has passed the commanderin chief test. But there is a long way to go between now andDenver," Wolfson told reporters in a conference call.
Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, isheavily favoured in Tuesday's Mississippi contest, the nextshowdown in his back-and-forth duel with Clinton, a New Yorksenator.
Black voters, who have backed Obama heavily, are likely toaccount for more than half of the Democratic primary turnout onTuesday.
Obama hopes to add to his almost insurmountable lead inpledged delegates who will help decide the nominee. Mississippihas 33 pledged delegates at stake.
Neither Obama nor Clinton is likely to reach the 2,025delegates needed to clinch the nomination without help fromnearly 800 "superdelegates" -- party officials and insidersfree to back any candidate.
The states of Michigan and Florida, which were stripped oftheir delegates in a dispute with the national party and heldunsanctioned contests, also could figure in a final resolutionto the tight race.
Officials in both states have discussed redoing theircontests so they would produce delegates to the convention, butthe candidates, the state parties and national party would haveto agree on the timing, funding and formats.
State and national party leaders showed interest on Sundayduring appearances on television talk shows in possibly redoingthe votes by mail, a less expensive way to conduct new conteststhat would count the delegates in each state.
The next big showdown after Mississippi will be inPennsylvania on April 22. Clinton will campaign in the statelater in the day.
(Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Jackie Frank)
(For more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters"Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
