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 New York senator and former first lady wasplaying a political game, denigrating his abilities at the sametime she promoted the 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 has raised the idea of a joint ticket with Obamaseveral times since she saved her campaign with big wins inthree of four contests last week, including the states of Ohioand Texas.
Her suggestions are aimed at paving the way for the idea ofputting her at the top of the ticket even though she trailsObama in the close race, analysts said, while building a bridgeto his sizable bloc of supporters.
Clinton has hammered Obama as unready for the Oval Officeand too inexperienced to handle the task of commander in chief.Her campaign on Monday lined up former military officers toquestion 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 Democratic Partyconvention in Denver in August.
'LONG WAY TO GO'
"We do not believe Senator Obama has passed the commanderin chief test," Wolfson said. "But there is a long way to gobetween now and Denver."
Obama told reporters he decided he needed to address thejoint ticket issue because Clinton and her husband, formerPresident Bill Clinton, kept bringing it up.
"The Clintons have spent all weekend talking about it, so Iwanted to make sure there wasn't any ambiguity about it," hesaid during a stop at a Columbus diner.
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.
Black voters, who have backed Obama heavily, may accountfor more than half the Democratic primary voters on Tuesday.
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 have shown interestredoing the votes by mail, a less expensive option.
The next big showdown after Mississippi will be inPennsylvania on April 22.
(Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
(For more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters"Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
