Clinton loans own money to keep up with Obama

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton looked ahead on Wednesday to a long and bruising presidential battle, and Clinton said she had pumped $5 million of her own money into the costly fight to keep pace.

Republican John McCain, still facing conservative opposition, promised to unite his party as his coast-to-coast "Super Tuesday" wins in key states put him on the verge of clinching his party's nomination and capping a stunning political comeback.

"I hope that at some point we would calm down a little bit and see if there are areas that we can agree on for the good of the party," the Arizona senator told reporters in Phoenix before a speech on Thursday to a conference of conservative activists in Washington.

Obama and Clinton battled to a draw on "Super Tuesday," with Obama winning 13 states and Clinton eight, including the big prizes of California and New York. Their delegate race also was almost even, propelling the fight toward the next round of seven Democratic contests in the next six days.

Clinton tried to keep up with Obama's growing fund-raising prowess -- he raised about $32 million in January to her less than $14 million -- by loaning her campaign $5 million late last month.

"I loaned it because I believe very strongly in this campaign," she told reporters at her campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, a state that votes next Tuesday.

"We had a great month fund-raising in January, broke all records, but my opponent was able raise more money and we intended to be competitive and we were and I think the results last night proved the wisdom of my investment," she said.

Both candidates touted their performances on Tuesday and tried to lower expectations for the next contests, even as they looked toward a protracted Democratic fight.

"We've got many more rounds to fight and you know I think that Senator Clinton remains the favorite because of the enormous familiarity people have with her and the institutional support she has," Obama told reporters in Chicago.

"But you know we're turning out to be a scrappy little team," he said. "I think we are less of an underdog than we were two weeks ago."

The Democrats will square off in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington on Saturday, Maine on Sunday, and Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia on Tuesday.

Under Democratic Party rules, delegates are proportioned by results statewide and in individual congressional districts. This enables both candidates to roll up big delegate totals even in states they lose.

TEXAS IN MARCH

That increased the likelihood that the hotly contested Democratic race could last well into March contests in Texas and Ohio, an April contest in Pennsylvania and perhaps all the way to the party convention in late August.

"As we go farther and farther into this, it is less and less likely that either side will be able to significantly amass a large delegate lead," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said. "Every single delegate is going to matter a great deal."