US election at-a-glance: 21 Feb

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7257692.stm

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DAY IN A NUTSHELL

John McCain denies a report in the New York Times that he had had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist in 2000. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton take part in a televised debate in Texas ahead of the state's primary on 4 March. Mr Obama is declared the winner of the Democrats Abroad primary, with 66% of the vote to Mrs Clinton's 33%.

KEY QUOTES

"Mr McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, 40, both say they never had a romantic relationship. But to his advisers, even the appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist whose clients often had business before the Senate committee Mr McCain led threatened the story of redemption and rectitude that defined his political identity."New York Times

The media turning on McCain was as predictable as the sun rising in the morning Rush Limbaugh <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7255757.stm">At-a-glance: 20 Feb</a>

"I'm very disappointed in the article. It's not true... At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust or make a decision which in any way would not be in the public interest and would favor any one or any organization"John McCain responds to the New York Times

"This is what you get when you walk across the aisle and try to make these people your friends... Senator McCain courted the media, cultivated them, even bragged that the media was his 'base'. I cringed when I heard it because the media turning on McCain was as predictable as the sun rising in the morning."Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh

"There's no dispute anymore. Senator Barack Obama is the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination and he's one win away from putting this race to bed."Chuck Todd, NBC

"Unlike Bill Clinton in 1992, Mr Obama is completely unwilling to confront the left wing of the Democratic Party, no matter how outrageous its demands, no matter how out of touch it might be with the American people."Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal

NUMBER NEWS

The results of the Democrats Abroad primary paint a fascinating picture of the geographical distribution of support for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

In every European country, including the UK, Mr Obama was victorious, often by a ratio of two to one.

Mr Obama also won the most votes in America's neighbours Canada and Mexico.

But Mrs Clinton was the victor in Israel and the Dominican Republic.

Turnout in some countries was very low: in Somalia, Yemen, Libya and a number of other countries, only one vote was cast.

And in Bosnia, two voters turned out - one for Mr Obama and one for Mrs Clinton.

DAILY PICTURE

Senator McCain and his wife attacked the New York Times for its article about his "close bond" with a lobbyist