New polls out today have Barack Obama well in the lead in Mississippi, and still very competitive in Pennsylvania.
A Rasmussen poll has Obama in the lead over Hillary Clinton, 53% to 37%, while an American Research Poll has a larger lead for Obama - 58% to 34%.
In the state of Pennsylvania, the Rasmussen poll found 52% favored Clinton compared with 37% for Obama. Obama was more competitive in the American Research Poll where the split was 52% for Clinton and 41% for Obama.
Mississippi votes on Tuesday, with 33 delegates up for grabs.
New Polls show Obama Strong
3am Kid Supports Obama
"It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep...", but who do those children support, Clinton or Obama?
The 3am ad, used by the Clinton campaign to question Obama's credentials, features a family, in particular a sleeping girl. Turns out that young girl featured sleeping in the ad, Casey Knowles is actually now 17 years old - the images in the ad are stock footage from 8 years ago!
I love this story, Casey is a Democrat and has been campaigning for Obama for months and was a precinct captain in Washington.
Obama Wins Wyoming
With 96% of the Wyoming precincts reporting, Barack Obama has 59% to Hillary Clinton's 40%.
This is an important win for the Obama campaign even though only 12 delegates were at stake.
The Clintons...all of them, have spent the last few days campaigning heavily in Wyoming, hoping to secure an upset victory which would boost her momentum after her narrow wins in Ohio and Texas.
Barack Obama in Casper, Wyoming
Barack Obama defends his record on the Iraq war, after sustained attacks from Hillary Clinton over the last day. Obama hit back at Clinton on the issue stating that "It was because of George Bush, with an assist from Hillary Clinton and John McCain that we entered into this war..."
Obama staffer resigns
From The Guardian
by Ewen Macaskill and Suzanne Goldenberg, Washington
ONE of Barack Obama's senior advisers, Samantha Power, was forced to resign yesterday after describing Hillary Clinton as a monster — one of the most personal comments yet in what is becoming an increasingly negative campaign.
Ms Power, who was in Britain promoting a book at the time, told The Scotsman newspaper: "We f---ed up in Ohio. In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win. She is a monster, too — that is off the record. She is stooping to anything."
The Clinton camp immediately demanded Senator Obama sack Ms Power, a Harvard professor and foreign affairs specialist. It produced four members of Congress to denounce her comments and reminded Senator Obama of his promise in December to sack staff who engaged in such personal attacks.
Ms Power issued a statement saying: "With deep regret, I am resigning from my role as an adviser to the Obama campaign effective today.
"Last Monday, I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor, and purpose of the Obama campaign.
"And I extend my deepest apologies to Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, and the remarkable team I have worked with over these long 14 months."
Senator Obama's spokesman said the remarks were not in keeping with the senator's views. "Senator Obama decries such characterisations, which have no place in this campaign," the spokesman said.
Ms Power, a specialist on humanitarian issues, the United Nations and the Balkans, is one of many foreign policy advisers to the Obama team.
Her comment came as relations between the two camps have become increasingly fractious. Senator Obama's team blames the loss of the Ohio and Texas primaries last week on negative campaigning by Senator Clinton.
GUARDIAN
No Joint Ticket yet
Barack Obama has poured cold water on the Hillary Clinton suggestion that the two could form a joint ticket for the November contest, with her leading the charge.
"That may be where this is headed," she said. "But of course we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket. I think the people of Ohio very clearly said it should be me."
Obama has stated quite clearly that he is focussing on securing the nomination himself. And with a lead of at least 90 delegates, that seems quite reasonable.
"We are just focused on winning this nomination," Obama said. "I think it is premature to start talking about a joint ticket."
Obama has also gone on the attack, in response to the negative campaigning by Hillary Clinton in the last week. There was no doubt "...that Senator Clinton went very negative over the last week" and that it has had "some impact" Obama said.
In response to Clinton's 3am ad, Obama specificaly questioned what exactly were her foreign policy credentials. It's a fair question. Clinton has only been a Senator for 2 more years than Obama. Prior to that she was First Lady, where the major decisions were handled by her husband. Or is she claiming something different?
Clinton may have gained some momentum out of her wins in Ohio and Texas - but we can expect to see an even tougher Obama over the coming weeks, with a much more attacking rather than defensive style.
Texas and Ohio Down - Still in the Lead
Barack Obama claimed last night that his delegate lead would remain virtually unchanged after the votes in the states of Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
Interestingly, the spin from the Clinton camp and the media is that Clinton has secured a big victory, taking 3 out of the 4 states.
We dont read it that way. Having been well behind in the polls, as late as a few weeks ago, Obama has made massive gains in all states, with perhaps his gains slowing only in the last days before the vote.
With counting almost complete, the tallys in the biggest states of Texas and Ohio, have Obama trailing slightly in Texas and only 8 points behind in Ohio.
Texas is showing a 51% to 47% split, with Ohio at 54% to 46%.
The actual delegate counts are still to come in, but estimations are that Obama will still have a very healthy lead heading into the Wyoming and Mississippi contests in the next few days.
One interesting point of note has been Clinton's answer to a question of a joint ticket with Obama,with of course her on the top. Its a clever ploy, vote for me and you still get Obama. Lets see where that story heads over the next few days.
This race still has a way to play yet, with Pennsylvania to come in a few weeks, and the constant push to secure the superdelegates.
With McCain confirmed as the Republican nominee, the head start on the Democrats will be substantial.
It's Showdown
It's getting close - by all reports Obama is just in front in Texas, slightly behind in Ohio, catching up in Rhode Island and way in the lead in Vermont.
While Clinton has been madly scrambling to play catch up on the fundraising stakes. Obama is outspending her in advertising, in some places as much as 3 to 1.
And he has to - Clinton is looking desperate. Her own husband has announced that she cannot be the Democratic nominee if she doesn't win the states of Ohio and Texas.
Even if she doesnt secure victories, or convincing victories, she may yet push on, hoping the delegates of Florida will be seated at the convention,combined with an all out oush for the superdelgates.
Obama conitnues to campaign hard - even suprising some by making a trip to Rhode Island, a place considered strong Clinton territory.
Can he continue the amazing run of 10 wins in a row and crush the Clinton dream?
We shall see in 2 days.
Robert De Niro endorses Obama
Robert De Niro speaking here about Barack Obama. De Niro talks tough on the "experience" question that Clinton has higlighted so much in this campaign. "Im here because finally one person has inspired me, one person has given me hope, one person has made me belive we can make a change - that person is Barack Obama."
In terms of celebrity endorsments, they dont get much bigger than this.
Obama on Super Tuesday
Obama takes out a majority of States on Super Tuesday. His speech here from his home state of Illinois, which he won convincingly. This was a day that the Clinton team thought would finish Obama. He has proved the Clinton team and the pundits wrong - again! In Obama's own words - "Our time has come and change is coming to America".
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