Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his running mate John Edwards have pledged to stand up for middle-class values and provide fiscal responsibility in the US government.
Part of their plan to build a stronger America, Kerry and Edwards said was to 'lead a government that lives within its means, just like families across America do every day'.
Kerry and Edwards made the remarks on the fifth day of their post-convention tour across the United States, a day after releasing their new book, Our Plan for America: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World.
"We can make America stronger at home and respected in the world. And that means strengthening our economy by making sure that Washington lives within a budget just like you do," Kerry said.
In a scathing attack on Bush's economic policies, the Democrat challenger said, "George Bush has squandered this historic economy by turning his back on fiscal responsibility and refusing to pay for what he proposes. His reckless fiscal policies have resulted in millions of jobs lost and turned record surpluses into skyrocketing deficits."
Kerry and Edwards said that they had a four-part budget framework which will help to restore responsible leadership and fiscal responsibility to Washington. They said that this framework would eliminate wasteful spending and cut the deficit in half in four years.
They also promised to create 10 million new jobs, make quality health care more affordable and improve education.
