'Shock jock' asks president for live debate

Barack Obama has been dragged into a row with America's most popular conservative radio chat show host.

Rush Limbaugh, who calls himself "America's truth detector", has challenged the president to a live debate to discuss his policies for the US. He threw down the gauntlet after days of attacking Mr Obama's $787billion fiscal stimulus package and criticising planned tax rises for the wealthy.

Limbaugh also ridiculed White House efforts to portray him as the face of the Republicans in the hope his firebrand views would put people off the party.

Mr Obama has not responded to Limbaugh, and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said it would be "counterproductive" to appear.

Limbaugh, 58, said: "You're a very courageous man, Mr President. I am, after all, just the last man standing.

"If you take me out, if you can wipe me out in a debate and prove to the rest of America that what I say is senseless and wrong, do you realise you will own the United States of America? You will have no opposition."