NEW YORK, Oct 19: President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney returned to the sharp language of a close election race on Friday after pausing to make fun of each other and themselves for charity. Obama mockingly diagnosed his rival’s position-shifting as “Romnesia,” and the Republicans again criticised the administration’s handling of a deadly attack in Libya.    

Monday’s third and final presidential debate looms. The two candidates are even in the polls just 18 days from the election. Now the focus intensifies on the handful of states that remain in play. The Nov 6 election is decided in state-by-state contests, not by national popular vote.

Obama has been attacking Romney for his history of changing position on key issues like abortion, and on Friday he introduced ‘Romnesia’. ‘’He’s forgetting what his own positions are — and he’s betting that you will too,” Obama told an audience in Virginia.

Romney has been attacking Obama on the response to a recent attack in Libya that killed the US ambassador, trying to weaken Obama’s lead among voters on foreign policy issues. The administration at first described. the attack as a spontaneous mob reaction    Obama insisted information was shared with the American people as it came in. The attack is under investigation, Obama said during a Thursday night appearance on “The Daily Show,” and “the picture eventually gets filled in.’’

The two candidates largely set aside their differences on Thursday night to make fun of themselves and each other at a white-tie dinner for Catholic charities in New York City.

’’The next debate is on foreign policy,” Obama told the audience. “Spoiler alert: We got bin Laden.’’    Obama also made fun of his sleepy performance in the first presidential debate.

Romney spoke first, and the candidate sometimes criticised as being stiff made fun of his multi-millionare wealth. ‘’It’s nice to finally relax and wear what Ann and I wear around the house,” he said.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released on Thursday showed Obama retaining his lead over Romney in Iowa and Wisconsin, two Midwestern battlegrounds.

Obama’s campaign circulated a memo highlighting the president’s strength during early voting in Ohio, where Romney has largely staked his hopes of winning the White House.—AP