Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama raised their battle for the Democratic presidential nomination up a notch as they traded barbs over who has the mettle to take on the Republicans and win back the White House.

``It will take more than just speeches to fulfill our dreams,'' New York Senator Clinton, 60, said at a Wisconsin Democratic Party dinner in Milwaukee late yesterday. ``It will take a lot of hard work.''

``Don't tell me words don't matter,'' Obama, 46, said in a speech following Clinton's. ``If we don't inspire the country to believe again, then it doesn't matter how many policies and plans we have.''

Obama and Clinton, vying for votes before Wisconsin's Feb. 19 primary, have been sparring over accusations of negative campaigning, style over substance and who would most effectively fight Washington special interests and chart a new course for the U.S.

The polling gap in Wisconsin has narrowed between the two candidates, according to a new Feb. 15-16 American Research Group Inc. survey that gave Clinton 49 percent support compared with 43 percent for Obama. A week ago her lead was 50 percent to 41 percent for Obama, American Research said. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Along with Wisconsin, Obama and Clinton are gearing up for nominating contests in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.

`Deliver Results'

``It's not about speeches for me. It's not about the bright lights and the cameras,'' Clinton said. ``It's about the changes we can make that actually deliver results in people's lives.''

Clinton said she's best equipped to go ``toe-to-toe'' with Arizona Senator John McCain, the likely Republican nominee. She repeated her assertion that while Obama is a good orator, he doesn't equal her in the experience and drive needed to win the White House and lead the country.

Obama countered by stressing the importance of inspiring citizens and ``making politics cool again.''

``The most important thing we can do right now is to re- engage the American people in the process of government, to get them excited and interested again,'' he said.

The people of America ``want to believe in change again,'' Obama added. ``Don't tell me ideals and inspiration don't matter. Don't tell me hope doesn't matter.''

Obama, straying from his prepared remarks, cited civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt as examples of people whose words changed society.

```I have a dream.' Just words?'' Obama asked, referring to the speech by King.

Civil Rights

The Illinois senator also touted his record as a community organizer in low-income neighborhoods in Chicago, civil rights lawyer and lawmaker.

``That's a pretty good track record for somebody who just talks all the time,'' he said yesterday at a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Obama says he's the best to take on what he says is the corrupting influence of Washington special interests because he has refused to take money from federal lobbyists.

Obama has accumulated 1,037 pledged Democratic National Convention delegates to Clinton's 953, according to an unofficial tally by thegreenpapers.com, a nonpartisan Web site that compiles election statistics. The count doesn't include the almost 800 so-called superdelegates, Democratic Party officials and officeholders who aren't bound by primary or caucus results and can back whomever they choose.

Wolfson

Clinton campaign manager Howard Wolfson accused Obama of ``flip-flopping'' on a pledge to take public financing in the general election if the Republican nominee did so. McCain has said he would agree to use only public financing, which would amount to $85 million, if the Democratic nominee did. Clinton has not made a commitment on financing.

``Senator Obama has clearly made a pledge both in writing and in word that he is now abandoning,'' Wolfson said in a conference call with reporters.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Obama will decide on financing issues when and if he becomes the nominee and ``we don't need lectures from the Clinton campaign.''

A candidate needs at least 2,025 delegates to win the Democratic nomination at the party's convention. Texas and Ohio hold primaries March 4, while Pennsylvania voters cast ballots April 22.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Chipman in Milwaukee at kchipman@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 17, 2008 21:52 EST