Pizzas galore!

Videos of Mr Wright declaring “God damn America” a week after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and other incendiary comments, caused Mr Obama significant problems in the later stages of his primary campaign against Mrs Clinton and many Republicans are urging the McCain campaign to bring the issue to the fore once again. Unlike Mr Ayers - whose relationship with Mr Obama is tenuous - Mr Wright was a central figure in the Illinois senator’s life for nearly two decades.

The first hour of the 90 minute debate was consumed by the economic crisis. Mr McCain came armed with an ambitious and costly new plan to buy up and then renegotiate mortgages for struggling homeowners so that they could avoid having their houses repossessed.

Mr McCain, criticized for rarely looking at Mr Obama during their first debate two weeks ago, probably did himself few favours when he referred to his rival as "that one" in a clash over an energy bill they both voted on in the Senate.

Both candidates declared how grave the economic crisis was. Mr Obama called it the worst since the Great Depression. Mr McCain, looking directly at the audience of 80 voters posing questions, said: "Americans are angry, they're upset, and they're a little fearful."

Mr Obama repeatedly sought to tie Mr McCain to the unpopular economic legacy of President Bush, a central plank of his campaign. "I believe this is a final verdict on the failed economic policies of the past eight years promoted by President Bush and supported by John McCain," he said.

Mr McCain decried his rival's plans to raise taxes on people who earn more than $250,000, adding: "Nailing down Senator Obama's various tax proposals is like nailing jell-o to the wall.”

The most passionate responses came on foreign policy. Mr McCain lambasted Mr Obama for saying publicly that he would enter Pakistan, even if Islamabad disagreed, to go after Osama bin Laden.

"He has announced that he will attack Pakistan," said Mr McCain. "I am not going to telegraph my punches, which is what the (Obama) did."

Mr Obama shot back, citing a McCain joke at a rally earlier in the campaign when he sang "bomb, bomb Iran" to the tune of an old Beach Boys hit.

"Senator McCain suggests that somehow, you know, I'm green behind the ears and I'm just spouting off and he's somber and responsible," Mr Obama said.

"This is a guy who sang, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran, who called for the annihilation of North Korea. That I don't think is an example of speaking softly."

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