COLORADO SPRINGS - Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin yesterday challenged the reform credentials of her Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden, contrasting his many years and many friends in Washington with her reputation as a reformist outsider.

Yet as the McCain campaign attempted on its post-convention swing West to wrest the issue of "change" away from the Democrats, Barack Obama for the first time yesterday took a shot at Palin, scoffing at her boast that she's an anti-earmark "champion."

Obama's former Democratic primary rival Hillary Rodham Clinton once again brushed aside questions about Palin yesterday as she marched with labor and stumped for Democrats in Manhattan and Staten Island. "This election is about issues," she said.

With polls showing a close race with two months to go to the election, the McCain and Obama campaigns have focused on asserting that they, not their rivals, will bring the change needed to a Washington many Americans deplore as unresponsive.

Seeking distance from his unpopular president and party, GOP presidential nominee John McCain brought his "change is coming" message yesterday to Colorado and New Mexico, two western states analysts say are up for grabs.

As another friendly crowd gathered at the local airport here, many to see the new GOP star, Palin went on the attack.

Speaking in a hangar as thousands stood waving American flags, Palin noted that many say the choice of a vice president says a lot about a presidential candidate. Obama, she said, had chosen a "fine man." But she also cast the senator from Delaware, who was first elected in 1972, as a creature of Washington.

"Senator Biden can claim many chairmanships across many, many years in Washington. He certainly has many friends in Washington's establishment," Palin said.

"But most of his admirers," she said, "would not call him an agent of change." In contrast, she said, "Senator McCain has called us a ticket of mavericks."

In Terre Haute, Ind., Obama yesterday told a friendly audience of 800 people "don't be fooled" by McCain and Palin.

"I know the governor of Alaska has been saying she's change, and that's great. She's a skillful politician," Obama said.

But he added, "When you've been taking all these earmarks when it's convenient, and then suddenly you're the champion anti-earmark person, that's not change. Come on! I mean, words mean something. You can't just make stuff up."

McCain has vowed to wipe out earmarks, funds for local projects lawmakers add to spending bills. Palin as a mayor and governor in Alaska successfully sought millions before coming out against earmarks.

Palin took note of Obama's shot later yesterday at a rally in Albuquerque, saying she was surprised he had brought it up since he is responsible for "nearly $1 billion in earmarks in just three years ... that's about a million dollars a day." She paused. "Just wait until President John McCain puts a stop to that."

Meanwhile, Clinton focused on supporting Democrats and pushing working-class issues yesterday.

Joining other New York politicians for a breakfast with union leaders in Manhattan, she said the two party conventions had showcased vastly different directions for the country. "I heard nothing that suggests the Republican team knows how to fix the economy for middle class families, how to provide high-quality affordable health care for all Americans, how even to guarantee equal pay for equal work for women," she said.

"So to slightly amend my comments from Denver -- no way, no how, no McCain, no Palin," she added, reprising statements she made after Palin's convention speech last week.