US:VOTERS IN Kentucky and Oregon went to the polls yesterday as Barack Obama moved closer to the Democratic nomination but Hillary Clinton vowed to fight on until every state has voted.
Before the polls closed, Mr Obama won the support of two more superdelegates, leaving him just over 100 short of the 2,026 delegates needed to win the nomination. Mrs Clinton insisted, however, that the race was not yet over, and a group of women supporters yesterday took out a full-page advertisement in the New York Timesto urge her not to quit.
"We want Hillary to stay in this race until every vote is cast, every vote is counted, and we know that our voices are heard," said the ad, paid for by the WomenCount political action committee.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Mrs Clinton complained that the media covering the campaign had shown more tolerance of sexism than of racism. Some political commentators have joked about Mrs Clinton's appearance, her laugh, her clothing and incidents such as hecklers shouting "Iron my shirt".
"It's been deeply offensive to millions of women. I believe this campaign has been a groundbreaker in a lot of ways. But it certainly has been challenging given some of the attitudes in the press, and I regret that, because I think it's been really not worthy of the seriousness of the campaign and the historical nature of the two candidacies we have here," Mrs Clinton said.
"There should be equal rejection of the sexism and the racism when it raises its ugly head. It does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments by people who are nothing but misogynists."
Republican presumptive nominee John McCain stepped up his attack on Mr Obama's foreign policy, telling Cuban-Americans in Miami that the Democrat's plan to ease a trade embargo and negotiate with Cuba's leaders would encourage the communist regime.
"These steps would send the worst possible signal to Cuba's dictators - there is no need to undertake fundamental reforms, they can simply wait for a unilateral change in US policy. I believe we should give hope to the Cuban people, not to the Castro regime," Mr McCain said.
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who backs Mr Obama, hit back at Mr McCain, claiming that he was wedded to President George Bush's foreign policy.
"John McCain, like George Bush, is afraid to talk to bad guys. He feels safer pretending to talk tough by hiding from them. Unfortunately ordinary people will pay for his lack of diplomatic skill. This is the Bush-McCain foreign policy that has failed all over the world, and it has failed to promote change in Cuba. I have successfully negotiated with Castro and many like him, and I know that Barack has the judgment and experience to nudge the Cubans toward a better future," Mr Richardson said.