Obama and McCain extend leads after victory in Wisconsin

Barack Obama has increased his lead over Hillary Clinton

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Wednesday, 20, Feb 2008 07:36

Democrat Barack Obama has extended his lead over rival Hillary Clinton in the battle to win the party's nomination to run for the United States presidency.

With most of the votes counted in the Hawaiian caucus, another win for the Illinois senator, his tenth in a row, is being predicted by analysts.

Earlier Mr Obama won the primary in Wisconsin, as did John McCain in the Republican race.

Mr McCain's win extends the lead over his rivals and further cemented his position as the party's front-runner.

The Democrat candidates will now look towards March 4th when Texas and Ohio go to the polls and where 334 convention delegates are up for grabs.

"The change we seek is still months and miles away," Mr Obama said in a speech in Texas.

"And we need the good people of Texas to help us get there.

"It is going to take more than big rallies. It is going to require more than rousing speeches... it is going to require something more, because the problem we face in America today is not the lack of good idea," he said.

"It's that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die."

Meanwhile Republican John McCain told supporters on Tuesday night: "I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change.

"Our purpose is to keep this blessed country free, safe, prosperous and proud."

CNN predicts that Mr McCain now has 909 delegates of the 1,191 needed to win his party's nomination. His nearest rival Mike Huckabee has 217.

The BBC claims that Mr Obama has over 100 delegates more than Ms Clinton, with 1,281 compared to the New York senator's 1,218.

Ms Clinton was an early favourite in the upcoming polls in Texas and Ohio, but according to the Reuters news agency, an opinion poll on Monday showed the race to be a dead heat.