PHILADELPHIA - Republican John McCain has a new response to those who say he would effectively serve another term of President George W. Bush’s administration: Barack Obama, the Arizona senator says, would do the same for Jimmy Carter.
 
Obama, the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, often ties his rival to the unpopular Bush on issues such as the Iraq war and the sputtering economy.
 
McCain’s response: two can play at that game.
 
“From what I’ve seen, as I’ve said, of Senator Obama’s proposals, that would be very akin to a second term for Jimmy Carter,” McCain told an enthusiastic crowd in Pennsylvania, criticizing the Illinois senator’s positions on taxes and other issues.
 
Former President Carter lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, who would become a conservative icon.

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Photo credit: Reuters/Muhammad Hamed (Jimmy Carter speaks with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Salaheddin in Amman April 20, 2008)

DENVER, Colo. - Mitt Romney , until a few weeks ago Sen. John McCain’s rival in a sometimes bitter contest for the Republican Party presidential nomination, says getting back on the campaign trail with the presumptive nominee is fun.

Romney traded blows with McCain for several weeks earlier this year before dropping out of the race and conceding defeat after losing crucial primary contests on Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.

With past battles behind them, Romney joined the Arizona senator in Salt Lake City, Utah, at a fund-raising event on Thursday, and then flew with him to Denver, Colorado.

“It’s a lot of fun again. It’s nice not to feel any pressure at all, I don’t have to worry about goofing up,” he told reporters on the flight over the Rocky Mountains.

“I can just stand behind the nominee and do my very best to support his campaign.”

Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, and Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah stood beside McCain at the campaign stop in Salt Lake City in a show of party unity.

McCain said he hoped Romney would join him on the campaign trail in the weeks ahead as he sought to energize the party in the run up to the election in November.

He will face Democrats Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois or Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

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- Photo credit: Reuters/Rick Wilking (McCain (L) listens to Romney at a news conference in Denver on March 27, 2008)