Democrat candidate Barrack Obama has dismissed allegations made by Bill Clinton that he has contradicted himself on Iraq, insisting that he has consistently voiced his opposition to the war.
Prior to last night's narrow defeat to Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary, Mr Obama was accused by former president Clinton of running a "fairy tale" campaign.
In response, the junior senator from Illinois told CNN today: "I'm not clear what the contradiction is. I said from the start that Iraq was a bad idea, that we should not have gone in, and I also said from the beginning that if we were to go in then we would have an obligation to our troops.
"And that's been a consistent position of mine."
Asked about his second-place finish in New Hampshire, Mr Obama said: "We feel great about what we've been seeing between Iowa and New Hampshire - record turn-outs, people extraordinarily engaged in the process and what's pretty clear is that the American people are taking this process seriously, they are paying a lot of attention, they want to participate, and they want to bring about a fundamental change in how our politics works here in this country."
John Edwards, who came a distant third in the Democrat contest, told supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire, he was still in the race, saying there were "48 states left to go" and 99 per cent of Americans' voices were still to be heard.
After winning the Republican vote in New Hampshire, John McCain said: "We have taken a step, but only the first step, toward repairing the broken politics of the past and restoring the trust of the American people in their government."
Fellow Republican Mitt Romney, who was accompanied by his wife Ann and family, said he would have rather have had "gold", rather than the two silvers he has achieved in Iowa and New Hampshire, but added that he was "able to get the job done".
The 60-year-old former Massachusetts governor said: "And I don't care who gets the credit, Republican or Democrat, I've got no scores to settle. I don't worry about who's going to be the hero and who's not going to be.
"I want to make sure that the America that this family inherits, and your family inherits, is an America that remains strong and the hope of the earth.
"This is the greatest nation on earth."
Third-placed Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucus last Thursday and performed better than expected in New Hampshire, told his supporters his campaign would leave New Hampshire with "continued momentum".
The 52-year-old former Arkansas governor said: "Ladies and gentlemen, we've had the times of our lives. If there's any sadness tonight, it's not where we finish because, frankly, we're pretty happy about that."
In its editorial today, the New York Timeswrote: "The New Hampshire primary has done Americans a service by leaving both parties' nominating contests open and giving a truly broad range of voters a chance to participate in these vitally important choices."
The election now moves to Mr Romney's home state of Michigan for its primary on Tuesday, and to the Nevada caucuses on January 19th.
But the next big contests are set for South Carolina, where Republicans hold their primary on January 19th, a week before the Democrats on January 26th.
Agencies