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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- John Kerry, intensifying his assault on President Bush�s record fighting terrorism, is outlining a detailed strategy to contain terrorists and bolster national security.

In a speech for delivery at Temple University, Kerry sought to describe a path that would improve America�s prestige in the world and reduce the country�s vulnerability to terrorists.

�Our goal is that at the end of that, people will say, �This guy will seek and defeat the terrorist,�� said spokesman Mike McCurry.

Kerry planned to outline his strategy against terrorism on Friday, a day after telling The Columbus Dispatch that the president�s actions in Iraq and elsewhere show Bush masquerading as a mainstream conservative while pursuing extremist policies.

�I don�t view these people as conservatives,� Kerry said. �I actually view them as extreme, and I think their policies have been extreme, and that extends all the way to Iraq, where this president, in my judgment, diverted the real war on terror�which was Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida�and almost obsessively moved to deal with Iraq in a way that weakened our nation, overextended our armed forces, cost us $200 billion and created a breach in our oldest alliances.�

Kerry also mentioned a blurring line between the separation of church and state and the growth of federal budget deficits.

To douse the spread of terrorism, Kerry proposes policies aimed at denying individuals and groups the ability to organize and attack. Kerry would build a better military and intelligence apparatus to go after enemies, deny terrorists weapons and financing, move against worldwide terrorist havens and recruitment centers, and promote freedom and democracy in Muslim nations.

Kerry has repeatedly argued that the war in Iraq has distracted attention and resources from the pursuit of terrorists, including Osama bin Laden.

The Bush-Cheney campaign said that Kerry has held conflicting positions on that point. They point to instances where Kerry said the former Iraqi leader acted like a terrorist and said that the war on terrorism should be seen as an operation bigger than the conflict in Afghanistan.

Kerry visits the Pennsylvania battleground before a quick trip home to Boston and then several days spent preparing for the presidential debates. Kerry told The Columbus Dispatch that he has to present himself �clearly, forcefully to the American people with a clear set of priorities.�

Kerry added: �I think a lot of people will tune in. There are undecideds. A lot of folks will try to measure our character and our vision, so I think it�s an important moment.�