McCain focuses on Democratic rivalry in bid to win hot seat

JOHN McCAIN is wasting no time running a general election campaign as he settles into his role as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee-in-waiting.

“Both of them lack experience,” the Arizona senator said about Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, now focusing entirely on his Democratic rivals and emphasising his qualifications to be commander in chief.

Mr McCain’s increased criticism of the pair marks an effort to take advantage of a window afforded him by essentially wrapping up the GOP nomination nine months before the election, while Ms Clinton and Mr Obama continue to battle it out.