Overnight, Obama picks up Hawaii

By Samuel Rubenfeld
News Editor

Stretching his winning streak to 10 states, Barack Obama picked up a victory on Tuesday in Hawaii, the state in which he was born.

Obama won by a margin of 3-1, beating Hillary Clinton 76 percent to 24 percent in the state's caucuses. The Associated Press called the victory at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Standard time.

The victories Tuesday night of the Wisconsin primary and Washington state's "beauty contest" by Obama gives him a significant lead in the delegate count. According to the Associated Press, which counts superdelegates as well as pledged delegates, Obama leads 1,319 to 1,245.

To reach a majority, a campaign must receive 2,025 delegates.

Analysts believe the race is becoming increasingly difficult for Clinton to win. "Suddenly, she needs 65 percent of these remaining states, of these delegates, just overturn that delegate lead that he has," said NBC News Political director Chuck Todd as the network covered the results Tuesday night.

"It moves that mountain that Hillary Clinton has to climb, when it comes to these delegates, a little bit higher. It's as if it keeps growing, it keeps growing, and she keeps taking steps back and it just keeps getting farther and farther out of reach," he said.

Clinton, at an event at New York's Hunter College Wednesday morning, sharpened her attacks on Obama over words versus deeds.

The next contests are on March 4, and they are primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Obama wins in Wisconsin, cements frontrunner status

Barack Obama delivers a nearly 45-minute long victory speech heavy on the specifics in Houston, Tex. (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Retaining the momentum he garnered after a host of victories earlier this month, Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won the Wisconsin primary Feb. 19, making it his ninth consecutive win in a race that now has fellow Democratic contender Hillary Clinton pressured for big wins in the Ohio and Texas primaries to take place March 4.

Although Wisconsin's blue-collar and lower-income population would appear to have benefited Sen. Clinton, the junior Illinois senator took 58 percent of the vote to Sen. Clinton's 41 percent, with 96 percent of precincts reporting.

Hawai'i also held its caucuses Tuesday, but the results do not come in until after the caucuses close at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Also, Washington state held a primary that will award no delegates, but with 53 percent of precincts reporting, Obama held onto a 50 percent to 47 percent lead, with the Associated Press not declaring a winner.

"We can't just have speeches, we've got to have solutions," said Clinton, referring to Obama in her primary night speech from Youngstown, Ohio. "The best words in the world aren't enough unless you match them with action."

Clinton did not mention the results in Wisconsin in her speech. And she was pre-empted by all three cable-news channels (FOX, MSNBC and CNN) when Obama took the stage to declare victory in Houston, Tex.

"The problem that we face today in America today is not the lack of good ideas, it is that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die," Obama said, after learning he had won the Wisconsin primary. He delivered an uncharacteristically long victory speech which lasted nearly 45 minutes, and it was heavy on policy specifics, including his views on education reform, health care and immigration.

"We're here because we still believe that change is possible," he said.

Washington awarded its delegates during caucuses held Feb. 9, which Obama won. The state legislature there decided to go ahead with what was being called a "beauty contest" even though the Democratic National Committee decided to allot their delegates after the caucuses. Nearly 500,000 voters had turned out with 53 percent of the precincts reporting.

Obama's ninth straight victory comes after New Mexico announced the winner of its caucus held on Super Tuesday. Clinton edged Obama out by 1,709 votes there, party officials announced last Thursday.

In the days before the two contests, the Clinton camp accused Obama of plagiarizing the words of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and using them as his own in his stump speeches.

The Clinton camp said it "calls into question the premise of his candidacy."

But when asked about allegations of plagiarism by Clinton herself which had been raised in press reports about Obama, senior Clinton campaign advisor Howard Wolfson said she "is not running on the strength of her rhetoric" in a conference call with reporters.

Obama rejected the charges of plagiarism and said that he often borrows the words of the Massachusetts governor – a person he campaigned for in his successful 2006 gubernatorial bid, and who has publicly defended him in response to the attacks.

In Texas, Obama was charging ahead. "The change we seek is still months and miles away, and we need the good people of Texas to help us get there," he said.

McCain wins Wisconsin, Washington state primaries

John McCain attacked Barack Obama in his victory speech after winning the Wisconsin primaries. Later in the night, he was also announced the winner of the Washington state primary. (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Michelle Westgate

Staff Writer

John McCain can add Wisconsin and Washington state to the list of states he has won this primary season.

With 92 percent of precincts reporting in Wisconsin, McCain has won 55 percent of the votes, while Mike Huckabee has received 37 percent of the votes. In Washington, where some of the delegates were already elected in caucuses held on Feb. 9, McCain won with 49 percent of the vote, with 53 percent of precincts reporting.

Huckabee only captured 21 percent of the vote there, with 23 percent of voters choosing "other."

“Even a superstitious naval aviator can claim with confidence and humility that I will be our party’s nominee for president of the United States,” McCain said at a rally tonight in Columbus, OH, as he thanked Wisconsin for this latest success.

In the speech, he also attacked Barack Obama. "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," he said.

The Washington state caucuses, which allocated the rest of the state's delegates, held on Feb. 9 are in legal limbo. McCain was declared victorious with only 87 percent of the votes counted, and Huckabee filed a lawsuit demanding a recount of the caucus results. McCain's margin of victory over Huckabee in the caucus was 2 percent, 26 percent to 24 percent.

McCain spent the last four days collecting key endorsements, including former candidate Mitt Romney, who announced that he was supporting McCain, and he encouraged his delegates to do the same.

“This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour,” Romney said.

In addition to the support of Romney, former President George H.W. Bush also endorsed McCain this week. Both Romney and Bush refer to McCain’s experience as a war hero when citing his ability to lead the nation.

“His character was forged in the crucible of war,” Bush said. “His commitment to America is beyond any doubt.”

Despite the recent endorsements, McCain still appears to be struggling to gain the support of the party’s more conservative members. In CNN exit polls tonight, 42 percent of GOP voters said McCain was not conservative enough. However, moderate voters and less conservative voters carried him to victory.

"Will the next President have the experience...and the strength of purpose to respond...in ways that strengthen our security?" McCain asked as he attacked Obama on foreign policy. "Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested invading our ally, Pakistan?

"I’m not the youngest candidate, but I am the most experienced,” he said.