BARACK Obama stepped to the brink of victory in the Democratic presidential race today, defeating Hillary Clinton in the Oregon primary and moving within 100 delegates of the total needed to claim the prize at the party convention this summer.
"You have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination," he told cheering supporters in Iowa, the state that launched him, a first-term senator from Illinois, on his improbable path to victory last January.
With about 30% of the votes counted
in Oregon's unique mail-in primary, Mr Obama was gaining a 60% share to 40% for Clinton.
Earlier, Mr Obama lost Kentucky to Mrs Clinton by a lopsided margin of 65% to 30%.
Mr Obama said the night's contests would give him a majority of the delegates elected in all 56 primaries and caucuses combined – as distinct from nearly 800 superdelegates, party leaders and elected officials, who hold the balance of power at the convention.
"We still have work to do to in the remaining states, where we will compete for every delegate available," he said. "But tonight, I want to thank you for everything you have done to take us this far – farther than anyone predicted, expected or even believed possible."
Mr Obama has already turned his attention to the general election campaign against Republican John McCain.
Democratic party officials said discussions were under way to send Paul Tewes, a top Obama campaign aide, to the Democratic National Committee to oversee operations for the autumn campaign.
Mr Obama lavished praise on Mrs Clinton, his rival in a race unlike any other, and accused Mr McCain of a campaign run by lobbyists.
"You are Democrats who are tired of being divided, Republicans who no longer recognise the party that runs Washington, independents who are hungry for change," he said, speaking to a crowd on the grounds of the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines as well as the millions around the country who will elect the nation's 44th president in November.
Mrs Clinton countered with a win in Kentucky, a victory with scant political value in a race moving inexorably in Mr Obama's direction.
The former first lady vowed to remain in the race, telling supporters, "I'm more than determined than ever to see that every vote is cast and every ballot is counted.
In a fresh sign that their race was coming to an end, Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama praised one another and pledged a united party for the general election.
"While we continue to go toe-to-toe for this nomination, we do see eye-to-eye when it comes to uniting our party to elect a Democratic president this fall," said Mrs Clinton, whose supporters Mr Obama will need if he is to end eight years of Republican rule in the White House.
Mrs Clinton won at least 37 delegates in the two states and Mr Obama won at least 23, according to an analysis of election returns.
All the Kentucky delegates were awarded, but there were still 43 to be allocated in Oregon, and Mr Obama was in line for many of them.
He had 1,940 delegates overall, out of 2026 needed for the nomination. Mrs Clinton had 1,759 according the latest tally by the AP.
The full article contains 557 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
