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MIAMI — Vowing to be a "partner in the White House," Democrat Barack Obama told the nation's mayors Saturday that Republican John McCain's proposed tax cuts would deny federal funds to fix decaying infrastructure in regions like South Florida, and prevent development of inner cities with block grants and anti-poverty programs.

"You see the traffic along I-95 in Miami," Obama told a gathering of the U.S. Conference of Mayors here.

"You see the crumbling roads and bridges, the aging water and sewer pipes, the faltering electrical grids that cost us billions in blackouts, and repairs and traffic lights."

Obama also used the speech to criticize McCain for visiting flooded areas of Iowa after voting against financing for some water projects and flood-control programs.

"I'm sure they appreciated the sentiment," Obama said, "but they probably would have appreciated it more if Sen. McCain hadn't opposed legislation to fund levees and flood-control programs, which he considers pork."

He also criticized McCain for touting a gas-tax holiday that would take money from highway repairs and "hand it over to the oil companies." Obama said one way he'd pay for his programs is by ending the Iraq war.

The new line of attack likely will open a domestic debate over the federal government's role at a time when floods are ravaging the Midwestern grain belt, rising gas prices are crippling many planned vacations and Florida is bracing for a rough hurricane season.

The McCain campaign quickly responded by accusing the Democrat presidential nominee of misrepresenting facts and ignoring the Republican nominee's efforts to eliminate pork-barrel spending in public works projects.

Saturday's debate centered on a bill opposed by McCain last year that provided $23 billion for water projects including beach and Everglades restoration as well as hurricane relief for the Gulf Coast.

McCain took the weekend off, but his campaign responded with a charge of its own, that although McCain sponsored an amendment to the water-resources bill to provide new financing for Army Corps of Engineers flood-control programs, Obama opposed it.

"Barack Obama's willingness to continue the status quo pork-barrel politics in Washington, and then engage in political attacks that entirely disregard the facts, once again fundamentally shows that he's nothing more than a typical politician," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said.

The $23 billion bill passed Congress easily but was vetoed by President Bush for supposedly including too many pet projects of legislators. Congress overrode the veto and the bill was enacted in November.

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