Obama, Romney trade job barbs in swing states

URBANDALE, United States (AFP) - United States (US) President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mr Mitt Romney derided each other's record on job creation on Saturday as they made a fresh push through key battleground states.

Gearing up for next week's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mr Obama rallied supporters in Iowa, a Midwestern state that helped launch his successful 2008 White House campaign.

He mocked this week's Republican gathering in Tampa, Florida for promoting an outdated policy agenda heavy on conservative social policies, and for "a lot of talk about hard truths and bold choices" that was light on the details.

"It was a rerun. We've seen it before. You might as well have watched it on a black and white TV," Mr Obama joked to supporters in Urbandale.