MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US campaign frenzy ahead of 'Super Tuesday' vote

Obama and Hillary fighting neck-and-neck in the Democratic showdown

Exhausted White House hopefuls launched one last frenzied day of campaigning before a 24-state “Super Tuesday” - the biggest one-day White House nominating contest in history.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are fighting neck-and-neck in the Democratic showdown, while John McCain looked set to take a firm grip on the Republican party's nomination. Clinton narrowly leading Obama: A CNN/Opinion Research poll out Monday had Clinton narrowly leading Obama 49 percent to 46 percent, within the poll's 4.5 percent margin of error. The same poll had McCain far ahead, 44 percent against 29 percent for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee trailing on 18 percent. "We want somebody with a few battle scars, who's been tested, who's ready to go the distance against whatever the Republicans decide to do," former first lady Clinton told cheering supporters at a rally in Minnesota on Sunday. "They've been after me for 16 years and much to their dismay, I am still here," declared Clinton, who is seeking to become America's first woman president. Obama argued that Clinton's reputation meant he was a better candidate to take on the Republicans. "I don't think there's any doubt that the Republicans consider her a polarizing figure," he said on CBS television. Later the Illinois senator fired up a 20,000 crowd in the eastern state of Delaware and parried Clinton's latest attacks. "Super Tuesday" states account for more than half the delegates at party conventions in August and September, which formally appoint nominees for the presidential election in November. There are 22 Democratic contests and 21 on the Republican side, with 19 states hosting nominating clashes for both parties. While McCain is tipped to pull out a decisive lead, the Democratic Party's system of proportionally allocating delegates means the Clinton-Obama race could drag on until at least March. McCain confident: McCain, on the verge of one of the great political comebacks after his campaign almost fell apart last year, was confident of sealing victory against Romney. "We're very proud of the progress we've made and we think we'll be able to finish this thing up by Tuesday," the Arizona senator and Vietnam war hero declared in Boston. "I will keep America safe. I will cut taxes. I will make sure we reduce excess spending." McCain was set for a whirlwind three-state tour of Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York on Monday, while Clinton and Obama were to campaign in closely contested northeastern states Connecticut and Massachusetts. Clinton also planned to hold a unique live question and answer meeting with linkups to every state in Tuesday's contest, which was to be broadcast live on the Internet and the Hallmark television channel. In a rare break from the frenetic campaign, candidates joined tens of millions of Americans watching the New York Giants come from behind to beat the New England Patriots in the Superbowl football championship game. Clinton was jubilant when her home state team won, and immediately looked for good omens from its 17-14 victory.