Democrats reveal funding records

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The two main Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have each said they have had a record-breaking month of fundraising.

Mrs Clinton announced her campaign had raised $35m (£17.6m) in February, while her rival's spokesman claimed their donations totalled "considerably more".

In January, she was forced to lend her campaign $5m (£2.5m) of her own money.

Mrs Clinton has been struggling to revive her campaign before the critical primaries in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday.

Mr Obama has won the 11 primaries and caucuses since the nationwide Super Tuesday contests on 5 February.

Correspondents say Mrs Clinton needs to win a majority of delegates in both states to stay in the race to win the Democratic nomination at the party's national convention in August, ahead of the November election.

Mr Obama holds a 6-percentage-point lead over Mrs Clinton in Texas and has almost pulled even in Ohio, trailing 42% to 44%, according to a Reuters/C-Span/Houston Chronicle poll released on Friday.

'Extraordinary number'

Clinton campaign officials held a conference call with donors on Thursday to announce they had raised a record $35m in February alone, some $8.2m more than was donated during the last financial quarter.

"It's an extraordinary number for us," said the campaign's chairman, Terry McAuliffe.

We've raised considerably more than her... It's a leap year - there's one more day Bill BurtonBarack Obama's spokesman <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7268707.stm">Clinton's steely resolve</a><a class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7270722.stm">Texans' key role in race</a>

More than $30m was donated over the internet or in small amounts, with the average contribution being slightly more than $100, he added.

Mr McAuliffe said the breakthrough moment came after Mrs Clinton announced she had lent money to her campaign.

"Our internet exploded, and it has never stopped," he explained.

Mr McAuliffe said the successful month of fundraising meant the campaign now had more than enough money to be competitive in Tuesday's contests in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, as well as beyond.

"Hillary Clinton's not going anywhere," he said. "Hillary's going to one place. She's going to Denver as the Democratic Party nominee."

Mrs Clinton said the fundraising total was incredibly gratifying

Mrs Clinton said it was "incredibly gratifying to see people coming forward with their vote of confidence" and revealed her loan had not yet been paid back.

Her record is likely to be eclipsed shortly by Mr Obama's, however, with several major donors estimating he has raised in excess of $50m, according to US media reports.

"We've raised considerably more than her," Mr Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton said, while declining to give an exact figure.

"It's a leap year," he added. "There's one more day."

Fundraising for Mr Obama's campaign far outstripped that of Mrs Clinton in January, bringing in $36m compared to her $14m.

The Illinois senator leads his main rival by 49% to 40% according to a national poll released by the Research Center on Thursday. Mrs Clinton led a similar poll three weeks ago.