Herewith some key quotes from Wednesday's third and final US presidential debate between Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican John McCain:

LEADERSHIP AND THE BUSH LEGACY

Mr McCain: 'Senator Obama, I'm not President Bush. If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.'

Mr Obama: 'The fact of the matter is that if I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush's policies, it's because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities, you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush.'

NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING

Mr Obama: 'I don't mind being attacked for the next three weeks. What the American people can't afford, though, is four more years of failed economic policies and what they deserve over the next four weeks is that we talk about what is most pressing to them, the economic crisis.'

Mr McCain: 'The fact is it's gotten pretty tough.'

'The fact is Senator Obama is spending unprecedented - unprecedented in the history of economics - money on negative attacks on me.'

BILL AYERS

Mr Obama: 'When people suggest that I pal around with terrorists, then we're not talking about issues.'

'I think that the fact that this has become such an important part of your campaign, Senator McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me.'

Mr McCain: 'I don't care about an old washed up terrorist, but as Senator (Hillary) Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of the relationship with you.'

THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND SPENDING CUTS

Mr McCain: 'What would I cut? First of all, an across-the-board spending freeze. Some people say that's a hatchet. That's a hatchet and then I would get out a scalpel.'

Mr Obama: 'We do have a disagreement about an across the board spending freeze. It sounds good. It's proposed periodically. It doesn't happen. In fact, an across the board spending freeze is a hatchet and we do need a scalpel because there are some programs that don't work at all.?

TAXES

Mr Obama: 'Look, nobody likes taxes. I would prefer that none of us had to pay taxes, including myself, but ultimately, we've got to pay for the core investments that make this economy strong.'

Mr McCain: 'The whole premise behind Senator Obama's plans are class warfare.'

RUNNING MATES

Mr Obama: 'On the key issues that are important to American families, Joe Biden has always been on the right side, and I think he would be an outstanding president if something would happen to me?'

Mr McCain: 'The Americans have gotten to know Sarah Palin. They know she's a role model to women and reformers all over America.'

ABORTION

Mr Obama: 'What ultimately I believe is that women in consultation with their families, their doctors, their religious advisers are in a best position to make this decision.'

Mr McCain: 'We have to change the culture of America. Those of us who are proudly pro-life understand that.'

EDUCATION

Mr Obama: 'Typically what's happened is there's been a debate between more money or reform. I think we need both.'

'We can't do it just in the schools. Parents are going to have to show more responsibility, turn off the tv set, put away the video games and instill the thirst for knowledge our students need.'

Mr McCain: 'Throwing money at the problem is not the answer. You will find some of the worst school systems in America get the most money per student.' -- AFP