US election at-a-glance: 29 Feb

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7271888.stm

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DAY IN A NUTSHELL

Hillary Clinton releases a campaign advert asking voters "who they want answering the phone" in the White House when "something's happened in the world... and your children are safe and asleep". John McCain attacks both of the Democratic candidates for their stance on free trade agreements.

KEY QUOTES

"It's 3 am and your children are safe and asleep. But there's a phone in the White House, and it's ringing. Something's happened in the world... Who do you want answering the phone?"Campaign advert for Hillary Clinton

[Mr Obama] has a view of the world that is closer to European attitudes than anything we have seen in the past seven year Gerard BakerThe Times <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7269733.stm">At-a-glance: 28 Feb</a>

"We've had a red phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer."Barack Obama responds to the Clinton advert

"I want to tell our Canadian friends, I want to tell our friends in Mexico and other trading partners around the world that I will negotiate and conclude free trade agreements and I will not... after entering into solemn agreements, go and say that I will abrogate those agreements."John McCain

"There's no doubt [Mr Obama] has a view of the world that is closer to European attitudes than anything we have seen in the past seven years and it is this that keeps Obamania in full swing [in Europe]."Gerard Baker, The Times

NUMBER NEWS

With John McCain now the only Republican with any real chance of winning his party's nomination, most of the pollsters' attention has been directed towards the Democratic race.

But some polls on the Republican contests in Texas and Ohio have nevertheless been conducted, in spite of John McCain's virtually unassailable lead.

Rasmussen, ARG and Zogby have all published surveys today of Texan Republican voters, and all three organisations give Mr McCain a massive lead over his remaining rivals Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul.

Rasmussen has him up by 29 points, ARG by 39 points and Zogby by 26.

The polls also suggest that Mr McCain is heading for a huge victory in Ohio.

ARG gives him a 46-point lead over Mr Huckabee, 65%-19%, and Zogby puts him on 62% in the Buckeye state, 43 points ahead of Mr Huckabee on 19%.

DAILY PICTURE

Hillary and Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea, seen here in Vermont, has won plaudits for her appearances on the campaign trail