The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

The US presidential race heated up Sunday after White House hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton clashed with rival Barack Obama over how the Democratic Party should choose its presidential nominee.

Trailing Obama in the nomination race after losing eight straight contests to the Illinois senator, Clinton and her advisers suggested hundreds of "superdelegates" -- party activists and elected lawmakers attending the Democratic convention in August -- were not bound by the results of voting in their states, US media reported.

"Superdelegates are a part of the process," Clinton was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. "They are supposed to exercise independent judgment," Clinton said on Saturday while campaigning in Wisconsin, which holds primaries on Tuesday.

Clinton and her advisers made clear their view that the 795 unelected superdelegates could clinch the nomination for her even if Obama prevails among voters in primaries and caucuses.

Obama, who has won the popular vote so far, has argued that superdelegates should back the candidate who wins the most delegates based on primaries and caucuses in states across the country. He now has a slight lead in pledged delegates after a string of victories and hopes to extend his winning streak in Wisconsin and in caucuses in Hawaii on Tuesday. But senior Clinton aide Harold Ickes told reporters the superdelegates should exercise "their best judgment in the interests of the party and the country."

Ickes predicted that after all primaries are concluded on June 7, "she (Clinton) will be neck and neck with Mr Obama t Then she will wrap up the nomination." Ickes also argued the results of delegates from Michigan and Florida should count even though the candidates agreed not to campaign in those states. The national Democratic Party stripped the two states of delegates after they flouted party rules and moved up the date of their primaries.

Obama's campaign promptly shot back, accusing Clinton of planning to undermine the popular will of Democratic voters.