Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008    

    WASHINGTON, June 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican senator John McCain on Tuesday formally recognized Democratic senator Barack Obama as his opponent in the general election.

    Kicking off his general election campaign at a rally in Kenner, Louisiana, the senator from Arizona said Obama is "an impressive man, who makes a great first impression."

    "But he hasn't been willing to make the tough calls; to challenge his party; to risk criticism from his supporters to bring real change to Washington. I have," he said.

    The senator slammed Obama's allegation that a McCain presidency would be a "Bush third term."

    "You will hear from my opponent's campaign in every speech, every interview, every press release that I'm running for President George W. Bush's third term," he said.

    "Why does Senator Obama believe it's so important to repeat that idea over and over again? Because he knows it's very difficult to get Americans to believe something they know is false. So he tries to drum it into your minds by constantly repeating it rather than debate honestly the very different directions he and I would take the country," Mccain said.

    "But the American people didn't get to know me yesterday, as they are just getting to know Senator Obama. They know I have a long record of bipartisan problem solving. They've seen me put our country before any President -- before any party -- before any special interest -- before my own interest. They might think me an imperfect servant of our country, which I surely am. But I am her servant first, last and always," he added.

    While the Democrats have been fighting the nomination battle for 6 months, McCain has secured the Republican nomination for over three months.