Obama wins big in N.C.; Clinton squeaks by in Ind.

By Samuel Rubenfeld

News Editor

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won handily in the North Carolina primary on Tuesday, defeating Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) by 14 points and negating Clinton's win in Pennsylvania on April 22.

The trajectory of the campaign changed with Obama's huge win: despite Clinton's squeaker victory in Indiana, where she won by less than 22,000 votes on Tuesday, pundits on all three cable networks called the race "over."

"I have not found an objective Democrat who thinks the race isn't over," said Tim Russert, the NBC News Washington bureau chief on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show.

More details to come in The Chronicle print edition, out tomorrow. (Link to come when posted.)

Obama wins Guam caucuses by seven votes

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won the Guam caucuses, declaring victory with the thinnest margin of any primary this election year.

Obama led Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) by just seven votes when the results were announced tonight.

Of the 175,000 residents of the island in the Western Pacific, about 4,500 voted.

Obama received 2,264 votes, whereas Clinton received 2,257 votes, with all 21 precincts reporting.

Guam has traditionally been ignored by candidates, but as both Clinton and Obama continue to duel for the nomination, they did not take any chances.

Neither of the Democratic candidates made any campaign appearances in the territory, but did run advertisements and appeared for interviews via satellite on local television stations.

Clinton and Obama also pitched their health care plans for Guam in long-distance interviews.

Clinton has called for Guamanians to be able to vote in the presidential election.

The New York senator has said she will appoint a senior adviser to the defense secretary to help Guamanians prepare for the arrival of 8,000 U.S. Marines who are expected to be transferred to the island from Okinawa in 2014.

Obama, in interviews prior to the vote, said his Hawaiian heritage makes him "especially sensitive," to the concerns and problems facing islanders.

Citizens of the U.S. territory are not able to vote in the general election in November, but have four pledged delegates and five superdelegates which will be sent to the National Convention in Denver in August.

Clinton wins Pennsylvania, vows to fight on

Hillary Clinton delivers her victory speech in Philadelphia after winning the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday night, after six weeks of campaigning in the state. (Video provided by MSNBC.com)

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) won the Pennsylvania primary Tuesday night, after a six-week stretch between contests, claiming a state she had designated earlier in the day as one she had to win.

"It's a long road to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and it runs right through the heart of Pennsylvania," she told a crowd of supporters at a victory speech in Philadelphia.

While her campaign says her victory questions Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) electability in the general election, she offered some comparison between the two competing Democratic camps.

Clinton said she and Obama are "on this journey together," while she was joined on stage with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and her husband, President Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsea.

Exit polls indicate she received support of voters age 65 and older and that Obama garnered the votes of the black electorate with nearly 92 percent of the African-American vote.

A majority of white males, 55 percent according to a CNN exit poll, voted for Clinton.

Knowing the demographics were not in his favor, Obama moved his campaign to Indiana early today, a state that holds its primary May 6.

"A win is 50 plus one. So, if Sen. Clinton gets over 50 percent, she's won the state and, you know, I don't try to pretend that I enjoy getting 45 percent and that's a moral victory -- we've lost the state," Obama said before leaving Pennsylvania for Indiana.

Obama still leads the delegate count with 1,720 to Clinton's 1,588, according to Associated Press estimates.

Her victory in the Keystone State will allow her to receive most of the state's 158 delegates.

According to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, voter turnout was a record, with between 50 and 60 percent turnouts in some counties.

About four million people are registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

Obama wins Mississippi

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has won the Mississippi primary, beating Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in a primary which exit polls indicate was the most racially divided contest yet.
Exit polls show blacks favoring Obama – overwhelmingly, at more than 90 percent – while nearly three quarters of white voters went for Clinton.

The Associated Press reported that only two other state contests this year were as racially divisive, Alabama and Arkansas, the latter being a former home state for Clinton, when President Bill Clinton served in the Governor's office.

Obama's win in what is considered one of the most conservative southern states during the general election comes as the announcement of Obama's victory in the caucus portion of the Texas "prima-caucus," which was held March 4.

Clinton won the state's primary, but because of the caucus, Obama will actually score more delegates than her.

Low to moderate voter turnout was reported by the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, with approximately 125,000 to 150,000 going to the polls.

The state has 33 delegates going to the convention in August.

Spitzer linked to prostitution ring

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Federal investigators have linked New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to a high-priced prostitution ring in the nation's capital, The New York Times reported Monday afternoon.

The 47-page affidavit from a prostitution bust last Thursday refers to a "Client 9," who, according to two anonymous sources close to the probe, is the name used by the prostitution ring for Eliot Spitzer.

The affidavit did not mention Spitzer by name, but sources close to the investigation say he paid prostitutes as much as $4,300 at a trendy Washington hotel last month to have sex with him.

In a press conference delivered an hour after the news broke on The New York Times Web site, Spitzer was apologetic, but he did not directly admit guilt.

"I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong," Spitzer said, appearing with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. "I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better."

At the press conference, Spitzer took no questions, walking offstage to reporters shouting "Are you resigning?"

The incident allegedly occurred on the evening of Feb. 13, the night before Valentine's Day, when room 871 was booked under the name George Fox, a pseudonym that federal investigators say was used by "Client 9" on previous stays.

The visit came after a cash deposit was made with the Emperor's Club, an online prostitution ring, who sent one of their prostitutes, Kristen, to the room.

The prostitute, Kristen, identified as a young, brunette, allegedly visited "Client 9," at the Mayflower, an upscale Washington hotel, after taking a trip on the Amtrak train from New York City.

Kristen was dispatched to the hotel after Temeka Rachelle Lewis, the ring's booking agent, sent a text message to Kristen, reading: "If D.C. appt. happens u will need 2 leave NYC @ 4:45 p.m."

The affidavit shows that "Client 9," also agreed to cover all of the expenses of Kristen's travel on an Amtrak from New York City to Washington.

Spitzer is a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. The Clinton campaign press office did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Chronicle.

Spitzer is married, with three children.

Obama wins Wyoming caucuses

By Mike Manzoni
Staff Writer

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won the Wyoming caucus earlier today, making it his second win in the last week.

Obama beat rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) 61 percent to 38 percent, with 100 percent precincts reporting.

The two Democratic contenders are separated by only 100 delegates, according to The Associated Press estimates, with little more than 600 left to score as they look toward a crucial primary in Pennsylvania next month.

Early estimates show that he will score at least seven delegates compared to Clinton's four, with one outstanding and six superdelegates up for grabs, according to CNN.

Earlier in the day Obama campaigned across the state.

"I will bring this war to an end in 2009, so don't be confused ... when Senator Clinton is not willing to acknowledge that she voted for war," he said. "I don't want to play politics on this issue, because she doesn't have standing to question my position on this issue," he said at a rally in Casper.

Wyoming Governor David Freudenthal did not endorse either candidate because he said they have not addressed the environmental and energy concerns his state faces.

But both candidates went in to the contest with some support from the state.

Former Gov. Mike Sullivan endorsed Clinton, while Obama had backing from the state's Democratic Party Chairman John Millin.

It's Showtime for McCain

By Akeem Mellis

Well, it is now official for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). After overcoming many obstacles, including defeating fellow candidates that at one time had a significant lead over him, and being left for dead only just five months ago, the Arizona senator has clinched the GOP nomination.

The only relatively good GOP candidate left in the race, he ended what had looked like to be a long nominating process for Republicans. Congratulations to him. But while McCain has put away a populist Republican in Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, he'll now have to confront putting away one of two populists in disguise over the next eight months.

With one dream achieved, McCain must now prepare himself for the toughest and possibly most frustrating race of his life against either Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) or Barack Obama (D-Ill.). For him to now win the White House, he must mitigate two problems.

First is the obvious reality that conservatives – who were split in their presidential preferences, helping give McCain the nomination – are still ambivalent about his candidacy.

Second is the way he’ll have to mitigate the looming onslaught by his opponents that he would be an “extension” of George W. Bush – a claim that, upon further inspection on certain issues, couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Tie that with how to properly articulate a message that can keep Republicans and Independents together for him and it’s a hefty climb.

But McCain has nearly eight months to do all of this. A now significantly prolonged battle for the Democratic nomination will greatly help him. Already, he has started to speak the message he will deliver throughout the summer and fall of this year.

If John McCain can ride a nearly dead campaign to the nomination, surely he can beat the odds in November. It’s time for Senator McCain to put on another comeback performance.

Akeem Mellis is the president of the College Republicans. You can reach him at amelli3@pride.hofstra.edu.