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Politics

Clinton loans $5-million to her campaign

WASHINGTON

In a sign of Barack Obama's growing financial advantage in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Rodham Clinton acknowledged Wednesday that she loaned her campaign $5-million late last month as Obama was outraising and outspending her heading into the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday contests. Some senior staffers on her campaign also are voluntarily forgoing paychecks as the campaign heads into the next round of contests. Clinton's personal loan illustrated her financial disadvantage. She sent an e-mail appeal to donors Wednesday seeking $3-million in three days - an effort that, if successful, would match the fundraising rate Obama averaged for the entire month of January.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.

Democratic race still undecided

Democrats prepared to examine nearly 17,000 provisional ballots today that will determine a winner in New Mexico's tightly contested presidential caucus. With 183 of 184 of precincts reporting, Hillary Rodham Clinton held a lead of 1,092 votes - 67,921 votes compared to 66,829 for Barack Obama, according to preliminary results. New Mexico is the only one of 22 states that held Democratic primaries and caucuses on Tuesday yet to report a winner. Provisional ballots are given to voters who show up at the wrong site, whose names are not on registered voter lists provided or who requested an absentee ballot but signed an affidavit saying they did not return it. They accounted for 10 percent to 12 percent of all votes cast, Democratic Party chairman Brian Colon said.

WASHINGTON

Rumors swirl over Huckabee, Romney

Even with Republican presidential candidate John McCain saying Wednesday that the nomination is his, neither Mitt Romney nor Mike Huckabee offered any hint that they were ready to exit the race. Among Republicans, there was speculation that Romney was contemplating a withdrawal, but he said little, announcing only that he would appear before conservatives and make a speech to Maryland Republicans today. Huckabee has said he will stay in the race until someone has enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Interviewed on CBS, Huckabee sidestepped when asked whether he might be an irresistible vice presidential running mate on a ticket headed by McCain. "I still want to be the irresistible choice to be the president," he said. McCain wasn't talking on that subject, but the vote totals and exit polls made it abundantly clear that he was weak where the former Arkansas governor was strong: in appealing to evangelical conservatives in the Bible Belt.

WASHINGTON

States break voter turnout records

Voters came out in record numbers in about half of the 20 states that have voted in presidential primaries so far, according to an analysis Wednesday. The findings from American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate were based on unofficial results from the primaries held through Tuesday. Caucuses and California primary results were excluded. Democratic primaries in 12 states set records, as did Republican primaries in 11 states, including Florida. About 14-million people have voted in the Democratic primaries this year compared with the slightly more than 10-million who voted in GOP primaries.

Associated Press

[Last modified February 7, 2008, 01:37:31]