WRAPUP 7-Clinton shuffles team to blunt Obama's momentum

(Adds quote from Obama on Maine win)

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - As she struggles to blunt Barack Obama's growing momentum, Democrat Hillary Clinton shuffled her campaign staff's leadership on Sunday ahead of this week's U.S. presidential nominating contests, while her rival celebrated a victory in the Maine caucuses.

Clinton replaced her campaign manager after a string of losses on Saturday, though aides played down any notion the move was a sign of trouble for the New York senator in her tight state-by-state fight with Obama to be the Democratic nominee for the Nov. 4 election.

Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black president, won in Maine after easy victories on Saturday in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington state, and is rolling confidently into Tuesday's so-called Potomac primaries in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

John McCain, an Arizona senator who became the likely Republican nominee last week when his chief rival dropped out, lost two of three state contests on Saturday but got a vote of confidence from President George W. Bush on Sunday.

Clinton, who would be the first woman president, said in a statement that Maggie Williams, a top aide when she was first lady, had taken over from Patti Solis Doyle as her campaign manager. Solis Doyle will move into the role of senior adviser.

Clinton did not spell out why Solis Doyle was being replaced and a Clinton spokesman said the move did not reflect any change in the candidate's overall strategy.

But Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, said the shake-up "can't be a good sign."

He said replacement of Solis Doyle along with Clinton's acknowledgment last week that she had made a personal loan to her campaign of $5 million were indications the candidate and her aides are concerned about the direction of the campaign.

"It indicates that they understand that things have not gone as well as they had hoped because if they had, the campaign would've been wrapped up by Feb. 5," Sabato said.

Obama's landslide victory in South Carolina seemed to be a turning point in the race.

Sabato said that while Clinton may be in a bit of trouble, "it's not over," adding that if she does well in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania, she could nail down the nomination.

REPUBLICAN DELEGATE TALLY

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee beat McCain on Saturday in Louisiana and Kansas and ran a very close second in Washington state. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, far behind in the Republican race, was a close third in Washington.

"It was great day for us," Huckabee said on Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. "This thing could go to the convention."