Thu, February 07, 2008 - 5:54 PM

Hillary Clinton was at Washington Lee High School in Arlington this afternoon where she took aim not at Barack Obama, but at presumed Republican frontrunner John McCain.

Clinton said she has “great respect” for McCain. But he’s not the candidate if voters want – that’s right – change.

“I believe he offers more of the same,” she said.

On a side note, I loved the two teenage girls the camera kept catching as Clinton spoke.

They were twirling their hair, whispering to each other and looking like this was just another day in class. Ahh, the life of a teenager.

-- Amy Dominello

Time to read the CPAC tea leaves to see if conservatives will get behind McCain now that Romney has left the race.

McCain on not leaving Iraq without victory = big cheer.

McCain says "I will not sign a bill with any earmarks in it." = huge cheer.

McCain says the word immigration = sustained boos.

Clearly, McCain's position on immigration, which many conservatives criticize as amnesty, is going to be a sore spot going forward.

--Sean Mussenden

We're waiting for John McCain to come out and speak to the crowd of conservatives at CPAC in Washington, and we just heard a strong defense of McCain from former Virginia Sen. George Allen, who endorsed McCain today.

Many conservatives -- well, talk show hosts at least -- have said they will sit on the sideline or -- gasp! -- vote for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton this fall instead of vote for McCain. They say he's not a true conservative.

Allen, who originally endorsed Fred Thompson, and was one of his key surrogates in the "spin room" after a debate last month in South Carolina, is now riding the McCain train. At the CPAC convention, Allen, a conservative by any standard, delivered a full-throated appeal to conservatives to get behind McCain. Allen highlighted McCain's long opposition to wasteful government spending and strong national defense credentials.

"John McCain will fight for those ideas," he said, and pleaded with conservatives to work hard to put McCain in the White House this fall. "My fellow conservatives, you are absolutely essential teammates in our cause."

McCain is just taking the stage now, and Allen gave him a big old bear hug. That image could help him in next week's Virginia contest. We'll see how the crowd treats McCain. So far, his kind words about Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney attracted bigger applause than anything else he's said.

He started out with a direct appeal to conservatives to get behind him. "I'm acutely aware that I cannot succeed...without the support of dedicated conservatives," he said, acknowledging that they he has had disagreements from time to time with conservative leaders.

The McCain camp put this statement out from Allen regarding the endorsement:

"John McCain has led a life of heroic service to our country," said Governor Allen. "His experience coupled with his strong belief in core conservative principles makes him uniquely prepared to serve as our next commander in chief. I am confident that he is the only candidate who can combat the threat of radical Islamic extremism, ensure our country's economic prosperity, stop wasteful Washington spending, and uphold our traditional values. Today, I urge all fellow Virginians and Americans to join me in supporting John McCain for president."

John McCain thanked Governor Allen for his support, saying, "I am honored and humbled to have the support of my friend George Allen. George has devoted his life to serving the Commonwealth of Virginia and the people of the United States. I am very pleased that he has joined our team, and I look forward to working with him."

--Sean Mussenden

Here's Mitt Romney's speech to conservatives in Washington today, as prepared for delivery. A lot of pundits today see this speech as setting the stage for a future run. What do you think?

--Sean Mussenden

***

"I want to begin by saying thank you. It's great to be with you again. And I look forward to joining with you many more times in the future.

"Last year, CPAC gave me the sendoff I needed. I was in single digits in the polls, and I was facing household Republican names. As of today, more than 4 million people have given me their vote for President, less than Senator McCain's 4.7 million, but quite a statement nonetheless. Eleven states have given me their nod, compared to his 13. Of course, because size does matter, he's doing quite a bit better with his number of delegates.

"To all of you, thank you for caring enough about the future of America to show up, stand up and speak up for conservative principles.

"As I said to you last year, conservative principles are needed now more than ever. We face a new generation of challenges, challenges which threaten our prosperity, our security and our future. I am convinced that unless America changes course, we will become the France of the 21st century – still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the world, no longer the superpower. And to me, that is unthinkable. Simon Peres, in a visit to Boston, was asked what he thought about the war in Iraq. 'First,' he said, 'I must put something in context. America is unique in the history of the world. In the history of the world, whenever there has been conflict, the nation that wins takes land from the nation that loses. One nation in history, and this during the last century, laid down hundreds of thousands of lives and took no land. No land from Germany, no land from Japan, no land from Korea. America is unique in the sacrifice it has made for liberty, for itself and for freedom loving people around the world.' The best ally peace has ever known, and will ever know, is a strong America.

"And that is why we must rise to the occasion, as we have always done before, to confront the challenges ahead. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is the attack on the American culture.

"Over the years, my business has taken me to many countries. I have been struck by the enormous differences in the wealth and well-being of people of different nations. I have read a number of scholarly explanations for the disparities. I found the most convincing was that written by David Landes, a professor emeritus from Harvard University. I presume he's a liberal – I guess that's redundant. His work traces the coming and going of great civilizations throughout history. After hundreds of pages of analysis, he concludes with this:

"If we learn anything from the history of economic development, it is that culture makes all the difference. Culture makes all the difference.

"What is it about American culture that has led us to become the most powerful nation in the history of the world? We believe in hard work and education. We love opportunity: almost all of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants who came here for opportunity – opportunity is in our DNA. Americans love God, and those who don't have faith, typically believe in something greater than themselves – a 'Purpose Driven Life.' And we sacrifice everything we have, even our lives, for our families, our freedoms and our country. The values and beliefs of the free American people are the source of our nation's strength and they always will be.

"The threat to our culture comes from within. The 1960's welfare programs created a culture of poverty. Some think we won that battle when we reformed welfare, but the liberals haven't given up. At every turn, they try to substitute government largesse for individual responsibility. They fight to strip work requirements from welfare, to put more people on Medicaid, and to remove more and more people from having to pay any income tax whatsoever. Dependency is death to initiative, risk-taking and opportunity. Dependency is a culture-killing drug. We have got to fight it like the poison it is.

"The attack on faith and religion is no less relentless. And tolerance for pornography – even celebration of it – and sexual promiscuity, combined with the twisted incentives of government welfare programs have led to today's grim realities: 68% of African American children are born out-of-wedlock, 45% of Hispanic children, and 25% of White children. How much harder it is for these children to succeed in school and in life. A nation built on the principles of the Founding Fathers cannot long stand when its children are raised without fathers in the home.

"The development of a child is enhanced by having a mother and father. Such a family is the ideal for the future of the child and for the strength of a nation. I wonder how it is that unelected judges, like some in my state of Massachusetts, are so unaware of this reality, so oblivious to the millennia of recorded history. It is time for the people of America to fortify marriage through Constitutional amendment, so that liberal judges cannot continue to attack it.

"Europe is facing a demographic disaster. That is the inevitable product of weakened faith in the Creator, failed families, disrespect for the sanctity of human life and eroded morality. Some reason that culture is merely an accessory to America's vitality; we know that it is the source of our strength. And we are not dissuaded by the snickers and knowing glances when we stand up for family values, and morality, and culture. We will always be honored to stand on principle and to stand for principle.

"The attack on our culture is not our sole challenge. We face economic competition unlike anything we have ever known before. China and Asia are emerging from centuries of poverty. Their people are plentiful, innovative and ambitious. If we do not change course, Asia or China will pass us by as the economic superpower, just as we passed England and France during the last century. The prosperity and security of our children and grandchildren depend on us.

"Our prosperity and security also depend on finally acting to become energy secure. Oil producing states like Russia and Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran are siphoning over $400 billion per year from our economy – that's almost what we spend annually for defense. It is past time for us to invest in energy technology, nuclear power, clean coal, liquid coal, renewable sources and energy efficiency. America must never be held hostage by the likes of Putin, Chavez, and Ahmadinejad.

"And our economy is also burdened by the inexorable ramping of government spending. Don't focus on the pork alone – even though it is indeed irritating and shameful. Look at the entitlements. They make up 60% of federal spending today. By the end of the next President's second term, they will total 70%. Any conservative plan for the future has to include entitlement reform that solves the problem, not just acknowledges it.

"Most politicians don't seem to understand the connection between our ability to compete and our national wealth, and the wealth of our families. They act as if money just happens – that it's just there. But every dollar represents a good or service produced in the private sector. Depress the private sector and you depress the well-being of Americans.

"That's exactly what happens with high taxes, over-regulation, tort windfalls, mandates, and overfed, over-spending government. Did you see that today, government workers make more money than people who work in the private sector? Can you imagine what happens to an economy where the best opportunities are for bureaucrats?

"It's high time to lower taxes, including corporate taxes, to take a weed-whacker to government regulations, to reform entitlements, and to stand up to the increasingly voracious appetite of the unions in our government.

"And finally, let's consider the greatest challenge facing America – and facing the entire civilized world: the threat of violent, radical Jihad. In one wing of the world of Islam, there is a conviction that all governments should be destroyed and replaced by a religious caliphate. These Jihadists will battle any form of democracy. To them, democracy is blasphemous for it says that citizens, not God shape the law. They find the idea of human equality to be offensive. They hate everything we believe about freedom just as we hate everything they believe about radical Jihad.

"To battle this threat, we have sent the most courageous and brave soldiers in the world. But their numbers have been depleted by the Clinton years when troops were reduced by 500,000, when 80 ships were retired from the Navy, and when our human intelligence was slashed by 25%. We were told that we were getting a peace dividend. We got the dividend, but we didn't get the peace. In the face of evil in radical Jihad and given the inevitable military ambitions of China, we must act to rebuild our military might – raise military spending to 4% of our GDP, purchase the most modern armament, re-shape our fighting forces for the asymmetric demands we now face, and give the veterans the care they deserve.

"Soon, the face of liberalism in America will have a new name. Whether it is Barack or Hillary, the result would be the same if they were to win the Presidency. The opponents of American culture would push the throttle, devising new justifications for judges to depart from the Constitution. Economic neophytes would layer heavier and heavier burdens on employers and families, slowing our economy and opening the way for foreign competition to further erode our lead.

"Even though we face an uphill fight, I know that many in this room are fully behind my campaign. You are with me all the way to the convention. Fight on, just like Ronald Reagan did in 1976. But there is an important difference from 1976: today, we are a nation at war.

"And Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat. And the consequence of that would be devastating. It would mean attacks on America, launched from safe havens that make Afghanistan under the Taliban look like child's play. About this, I have no doubt.

"I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating Al Qaeda and terror. If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters – many of you right here in this room – have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country.

"I will continue to stand for conservative principles. I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face evil extremism.

"It is the common task of each generation – and the burden of liberty – to preserve this country, expand its freedoms and renew its spirit so that its noble past is prologue to its glorious future.

"To this task, accepting this burden, we are all dedicated, and I firmly believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed beyond our fondest hope. America must remain, as it has always been, the hope of the Earth.

"Thank you, and God bless America."

WASHINGTON – Now that Mitt Romney has suspended his Republican presidential campaign, Florida’s GOP Sen. Mel Martinez says it’s time for Mike Huckabee to do so, as well.

Martinez, who last month endorsed John McCain days before Florida’s primary, says it was “big” of Romney to “put is personal interests aside and unite behind John McCain for the sake of uniting our party.”

And now, he said, “it would make sense” for Huckabee to do the same.

“Because I think mathematically, it’s virtually impossible for either one (Romney or Huckabee) to win,” said Martinez.

“It would be nice to put this all behind us. McCain could then be the presumptive nominee,” said Martinez, who until late last years was the Republican National Committee chairman.

“It would really give us a huge advantage over the Democrats as they continue to fight on,” said Martinez, referring to Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

-- Billy House

Mitt Romney officially brought his campaign to an end a few seconds ago.

"This isn't an easy decision. I hate to lose," he said in a speech to CPAC, a group of influential conservatives in Washington a few minutes ago.

If the assembled crowd had the power to pick the GOP nominee, it's pretty clear that that Romney would be the one looking ahead to November, not headed home. Romney, looking happier and more animated than he has in weeks on the stump, said that if he "fights on" he would "forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it easier for Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama to win."

"If it were only about me, I'd go on," he said. He left the stage to big cheers. Does anyone think this is the last we'll see of Romney on the national stage? If McCain loses in 2008, do you think Romney will try another run at the White House?

--Sean Mussenden

Well that didn't take long. Two days after he suffered a drubbing on Super Tuesday, Mitt Romney is speaking to a group of conservatives in Washington right now, and is expected to tell them that he will leave the race.

Here's the full story from the AP. The headline on their story says "McCain seals GOP nomination as Romney suspends campaign." McCain has a huge lead in delegates over both Romney and Huckabee, but that headline might be a bit premature. Sure, it looks daunting for Huckabee. But there's an argument to be made that conservative voters were splitting between Romney and Huckabee, and with Romney gone, Huckabee will undoubtedly stake a claim as the last true conservative in the race.

--Sean Mussenden

***

WASHINGTON (AP) _ John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney prepared to tell conservatives.

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney will say at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters... many of you right here in this room... have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America."

McCain prevailed in most of the Super Tuesday states, moving closer to the numbers needed to officially win the nomination.

Overall, McCain led with 707 delegates, to 294 for Romney and 195 for Huckabee. It takes 1,191 to win the nomination at this summer's convention in St. Paul, Minn.

"I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating al-Qaida and terror," Romney said.

Romney acknowledged the obstacles to beating McCain.

"As of today, more than 4 million people have given me their vote for president, less than Senator McCain's 4.7 million, but quite a statement nonetheless. Eleven states have given me their nod, compared to his 13. Of course, because size does matter, he's doing quite a bit better with his number of delegates," Romney said in prepared remarks.

Romney's departure from the race came almost a year after his formal entrance, when the Michigan native declared his candidacy on Feb. 12, 2007, at the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Dearborn, Mich.

Over the ensuing 12 months, Romney sought the support of conservatives with a family values campaign, emphasizing his opposition to abortion and gay marriage, as well as his support for tax cuts and health insurance that would benefit middle-class families.

"We need to teach our children that before they have babies, they get married," he told voters at his campaign events.

But he was dogged by charges of flip-flopping, a criticism that undermined the candidacy of another Massachusetts hopeful — John Kerry in 2004. In seeking to unseat Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in 1994, Romney said he would be a better advocate for gay rights than his rival and he favored abortion rights.

Throughout his campaign, Romney was questioned by voters and the media about his Mormon faith. Hoping assuage voters skeptical of electing a Mormon president, Romney gave speech on Dec. 6 in College Station, Texas, that explicitly recalled remarks John F. Kennedy made in 1960 in an effort to quell anti-Catholic bias. He vowed to serve the interests of the nation, not the church, if elected president.

In early voting Iowa, Romney sought votes by casting himself as the guardian of the Reagan-era conservative triad — a three-legged stool, as the candidate put it — of a strong national defense, strong economy and strong families.

Fueled by what would grow to more than $35 million of personal donations, his campaign hired top-notch staff in the early voting states, and Romney scored an early win when his organization topped the field at the Iowa Straw Poll in August.

By that time, the national front-runners, McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, had virtually ceded the lead-voting state to Romney.

Instead, McCain focused on New Hampshire, second on the calendar, while Giuliani employed an untested strategy of waiting out the early primary contests and instead staking his candidacy on a strong showing in the Jan. 29 Florida primary.

Romney's goal was to score back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, clearing the field and creating momentum to roll through Florida — where he enjoyed the support of top aides to former Gov. Jeb Bush — and seal the nomination in the Super Tuesday contests.

Instead, Romney was beaten Jan. 3 in Iowa by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister who received an unexpected outpouring of support in the caucuses from voters identifying themselves as evangelicals.

Five days later, Romney suffered a second consecutive defeat in New Hampshire, when McCain won the primary in part with the support of independents attracted to his self-styled maverick campaign.

Romney, who headed the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, tried to cast each defeat in competitive terms, saying his second-place finishes amount to "silver medals." He also highlighted the "gold" he won in between and in the little-watched Wyoming caucuses.

Nonetheless, Romney took a cue from Huckabee's win, as well as Democrat Barack Obama's Iowa upset of rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, as a sign voters wanted change in Washington.

On the stump, he retooled his speech to harken back to the theme he broached in Dearborn, that America's future, and that of its government, were dependent on innovation. His campaign also hung new banners reading, "Washington is Broken," as well as a to-do list Romney would complete as president.

Romney and McCain went head-to-head in the Jan. 13 Michigan primary, and Romney won, in part by highlighting his background as a business consultant and venture capitalist. When McCain acknowledged what seemed to be obvious, that not all of Detroit's lost auto industry jobs would be recovered, Romney pounced.

He accused the senator of pessimism, outlining a $20 billion industry recovery package and telling audiences in economically ailing Michigan, "I will fight for every single job."

Romney also tweaked his stump speech to criticize McCain for stating that he was more familiar with foreign affairs and military matters than economic issues.

Highlighting his 25-year business career, he told audiences, "Senator McCain says the economy is not his strong suit; well, it is my strong suit."

As the calendar progressed, however, McCain picked up a big-ticket win in the Jan. 19 South Carolina primary. Romney instead focused on his victory in the Nevada caucuses the same day.

Ten days later, the two squared off again in the Florida primary, where McCain scored a major upset after winning endorsements from the state's two top elected Republicans — Gov. Charlie Crist, a popular figure who had previously said he planned to remain neutral in the race, and Sen. Mel Martinez.

The following day, Giuliani dropped out of the race and endorsed McCain. A day later, popular California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneger announced his endorsement of McCain, reflecting a coalescing of Republican support behind the senator as he approached a Super Tuesday showdown with Romney.

Romney's final pitch was to label McCain a liberal like Clinton and Obama, a charge tantamount to heresy in the GOP. He was backed by conservative media voices like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.

Wed, February 06, 2008 - 6:13 PM

Running for president? Win votes of Democratic women and you're likely to win the state.

EMILY’s List, which provides campaign money and support for Democratic candidates who support abortion rights, has crunched some numbers about women voters and Democratic presidential candidates.

According to exit polls taken on Super Tuesday, women made up the majority of voters in every state that held a primary.

And when a majority of women backed a presidential contender, that candidate took the state nearly every time. The exception is Connecticut. Fifty-three percent of women in Connecticut voted for Hillary Clinton, but Barack Obama’s stronger support among men – 59 percent of men voted for Obama – propelled him to victory.

Men as a rule supported Obama, although not in Arkansas, New York, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Clinton won those states and can claim two of them as home turf. She was first lady of Arkansas and is a senator from New York.

Women – and voters overall -- in the South split between the two candidates. Obama won the support of Alabama and Georgia, while Clinton took Arkansas and Tennessee.

-- Amy Dominello

In the post below this one, Sean called Super Tuesday "Indecisive Tuesday." It's a good line -- but is it right? I think we got something other than a muddle yesterday. We got clarity.

We have a frontrunner on the Republican side in John McCain, the Lazarus of this campaign. It's hard to see how Mike Huckabee parlays his wins in the South into a meaningful shot at the GOP nomination, and Mitt Romney reminds me of one of those losing basketball teams that "can't buy a basket." You know someone is grasping at straws when he says how pleased he is to have won the states where he and his wife had lived -- Massachusetts, Utah and Michigan.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton didn't drown Barack Obama, but she held his head under water in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Yes, the delegate counts will be close when all the states are sorted out, but she has a formidable organization and the Democratic establishment with her. That's important because she has most of the party and elected officials who will be voting as Super Delegates at the convention. Obama may be the party's sentimental and inspirational favorite, but Clinton has the institutional muscle. She's going to be harder to beat with Super Tuesday's momentum

So, there's another view. What do you think? Comment below.

-- Marsha Mercer

Iowa didn’t settle it. Nor did New Hampshire or Michigan. Ditto South Carolina and Florida.

Those of you who woke up this morning expecting some clarity in this uber-competitive presidential contest, I have bad news. Super Tuesday didn’t settle it either.

They’re still sorting out the delegate prizes in California this morning – which Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain won. But it’s clear that this race will go on – on both sides – for at least several weeks, and likely a lot longer.

On the Democratic side, both Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama will claim momentum today after their string of victories. But neither side appears to have a clear edge going forward.

On the Republican side, McCain emerged as the clear front-runner last night. But after a block of surprise wins by former Gov. Mike Huckabee in the South, and less surprising wins by former Gov. Mitt Romney in the West, both on the backs of the conservative wing of the party, McCain still faces questions about his ability to unite his party.

Now it’s your turn. Are you tired of this thing yet? Burnt out on presidential politics? Comment below.

--Sean Mussenden

It's a new day, but Super Tuesday isn't over -- not yet. So, welcome to Super Wednesday. We haven't gotten the results from California yet, but we did hear the voices of Americans all over the country on this long historic day of voting. We'll be digesting these numbers -- and delegate counts -- fover the next few days.

We here at Herd on the Trail are heading to the bunkhouse now, but we'll be back with more news and analysis after some shut-eye -- assuming we can sleep without knowing how California goes. Be sure to check back about 8 in the morning.

Hope you enjoyed Super Tuesday as much as we did.
-- Marsha Mercer at 12:23 a.m.

While everyone waits to hear about California, Obama makes one more speech.

"This campaign for the presidency of the United States of America is different," he tells a cheering crowd in Chicago.

"It's different not because of me. It's different because of you...You're tired of being let down."

"This isn't about me and it isn't about Senator Clinton." He said he and Hillary Clinton were friends before and would be again and that she has been running "an outstanding race."

But he didn't sound like her friend when he then said, "This fall we owe the American people a real choice. We have to choose between change and more of the same, between looking backward and looking forward. We have to choose between our future and our past."

He said the Republicans would run a campaign based on the past, which is why the Democrats must run for the future. "We can do this. We can do this. But it will not be easy. It will require struggle and it will require sacrifice... So tonight I want to speak directly to all those Americans who have yet to join this movement but still hunger for change...

"I'm here to say tonight to all of you who harbor those doubts, we need you."

-- Marsha Mercer

In Alabama, we heard from David Lanoue, chair of the political science department at the University of Alabama.

Barack Obama won by a greater margin than he thought, in large part due to the turnout of black voters.

“I think ever since Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses and really emerged as a credible candidate, African American voters have moved in his direction,” Lanoue said.

Over on the GOP side, Lanoue said it’s not surprising Alabama went for Mike Huckabee. But his strong showing in southern Super Tuesday southern states might be troubling for John McCain.

"It’s clear John McCain has not closed the deal with religious conservatives,” Lanoue said.

The Republicans, he said, may be faced with the fact that their eventual nominee is not trusted by a significant portion of the party’s base.

And Lanoue said that could pave the way for conservative, Southern running mate such as Alabama Gov. Bob Riley.

With 95 percent of precincts in Alabama reporting, Obama is leading over Hillary Clinton with 56 percent to her 42 percent.

Huckabee has 41 percent of the vote, while McCain has 37 percent and Mitt Romney has 18 percent.

Click here for full results.

-- Amy Dominello

At 11:37, John McCain is on stage. In a speech punctuated with cheers of "Mac is back," McCain declared himself the Republican presidential frontrunner.

He has been projected the winner in New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oklahoma and Arizona.

"We still have a ways to go but we're much closer to the vicoty we have worked so hard to achieve, and I am confident we will get there," he said.

Gracious in victory, McCain praised his rivals, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

Saying there's "still a long road ahead," he said, the time will soon come when mothers in Arizona can tell their children that they can grow up to be president."

-- Marsha Mercer

Barack Obama is projected to win caucus states in Colorado, North Dakota, Utah, Idaho and Minnesota. He also is expected to carry Alabama, Delaware, Georgia Connecticut, Kansas and Illinois.

California is still too close to call.

-- Marsha Mercer