Democratic nominee Barack Obama slammed John McCain this week over the outsourcing of American jobs, but McCain fired back by accusing the Illinois senator of hypocrisy.

McCain’s charge stems from the fact that the Obama campaign leases its 30,000-square-foot Chicago campaign headquarters from one of the nation’s most aggressive outsourcers: Accenture. The consulting firm has helped companies move thousands of jobs overseas and has based its own headquarters in Bermuda, which allows it to pay less in taxes than its competitors.

“Accenture has a very big presence overseas in low-cost countries,” said Ron Hira, a professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the author of Outsourcing America. “It’s certainly one of the leading outsourcing firms.”

Accenture describes itself as “a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.”

The company called the sublease a “straightforward, commercial transaction.”

“Accenture held a contract on two floors at 233 N. Michigan Ave., formerly called One Illinois Center,” said company spokesman Jim McAvoy. “In early 2007 we were approached by our real estate broker with an offer to sublet. After negotiations began, our real estate team learned the tenant was Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The sublease agreement we reached is a straightforward, commercial transaction at market rates.”

An Obama aide downplayed the campaign’s business arrangement with Accenture, asserting it had no impact on Obama’s policy positions.

But McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds charged Obama with hypocrisy.

“It’s classic Barack Obama — all talk,” he said. “Whether it’s equal pay for women or reforming Fannie and Freddie, what Barack Obama says can sometimes be quite different from what he’s actually done.”

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said McCain is the candidate who deserves criticism because of outsourcing.