US President Barack Obama went on the offensive Friday against his Republican foes in the key swing state of Virginia, in the hopes it will vote in his favor as it did in 2008.

US President Barack Obama went on the offensive Friday against his Republican foes in the key swing state of Virginia, in the hopes it will vote in his favor as it did in 2008.

Four months before Americans head to the polls on November 6, the Democratic incumbent challenged the economic policies of the Republican party and its White House hopeful Mitt Romney in a speech at a high school in Virginia Beach.

He appealed to Congress to let tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- implemented by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush -- expire, while extending those breaks for people making less than $250,000 per year.
"Their economic idea, you can summarize it really easily," Obama said.

"They basically want to give $5 trillion in new tax cuts, mostly for the wealthy, on top of the Bush tax cuts."
Obama charged that the Republicans were convinced that if you "help folks at the top ... somehow all those benefits are going to trickle down on you."

"Now I have to tell you, I think they're wrong," he added to cheers and applause from the 1,400-strong crowd.