McCain widens GOP lead BY DAVID ESPO Associated Press WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain padded his commanndin delegate lead in the Republican presidential race Wednesday and urged conservvativ critics to cut him some slack. In a Democratic surprise, Hillary Rodham Clinton discloose she’d lent $5 million to her cash-short campaign. “And I think the results last night proved the wisdom of my investment,” said the formme first lady, one day after trading victories with Barack Obama in a string of Super Tuesday contests from coast to coast. Nearly complete returns from Super Tuesday left McCain with 703 delegates, nearly 60 percent of the 1,191 needed to win the nomination at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., this summer. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 293, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee 190 and Texas Rep. Ron Paul 14. Despite steadily lengtheniin odds, neither Romney nor Huckabee offered any hint they were ready to exit the race. McCain, the Arizona senatoor said he recognized there was work to be done to unify the party. “I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there’s areas we can agree on,” he said, one day in advaanc of an appearance before conservative activists who have shunned his candidacy. The Democratic delegate count lagged, the result of party rules that shunned the type of winner-take-all primariie in states such as New York and New Jersey that helped McCain build his advanttage On Tuesday’s busiest primaar night in history, Clinton and Obama were separated by 40 delegates, with several hundred yet to be allocated. Overall, that left Clinton with 1,024, halfway to the 2,025 needed to secure the Democratic nomination. Obamm was right behind with 933. Delegates still to be allocatee included 25 in New Mexicco where Democratic caucusee remained too close to call. Super delegates are key E Their influence is usually minimal. Not this year. BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer Tulsa attorney James Frasiie belongs to what could becoom a very popular group by the time the Democratic Natioona Convention rolls around late this summer. Frasier, as Oklahoma’s natioona committeeman, is one of the state’s eight “super delegaates — or, as they are more properly known, unpleedge party leader and elected official delegates. Super delegates make their way onto a state’s roster of voting delegates by virtue of party standing — state party officers, elected officials and members of the Democratic National Committee. In most years, their direct impact on the nomination is minimal. But as this year’s campaign drags on, with U.S. Sens. Hillaar Clinton and Barack Obamm fighting tooth and nail, the super delegates’ importance increases. Unlike other delegaate pledged to vote accordiin to primary or caucus resullts super delegates can vote for whomever they please at the national conventiion Of the 4,049 voting delegaate to the Democratic Natioona Convention, 720 are suppe delegates. An additional 76 “unpledged add-ons,” chosse by state party chairmen, are free agents, too. Oklahoma is allotted one unpledged add-on. Thus, while Clinton won 24 delegaate and Obama 14 through Tuesday’s primary, nine of the state’s 47 voting delegates to the national convention are, at least theoretically, unaligned. Three of Oklahoma’s eight super delegates have known leanings: Frasier, state spokesman for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards; state committeewoman Betty McElderry, for Clinton; and state vice chairwoman Kitti Asberry, for Obama. Although Edwards has suspennde his campaign, Frasier said he still hopes to be able to vote for him at the national convention. In the meantime, Obama and Clinton supporteer hope to convert him. Oklahoma’s remaining five super delegates — U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, Gov. Brad Henry, state party chairman Ivan Holmes and DNC members Kalyn Free and Jay Parmley — are uncommitted. The add-on delegate hasn’t been chosen but is likely to be a Clinton supporter because of her strength in the state. Republicans also have unpleedge delegates, but not nearly so many. Oklahoma has only three — state chairmma Gary Jones, national committeewoman Bunny Chambers of Oklahoma City and national committeeman Lynn Windel. All are thought to be uncommiitted In Tuesday’s Oklahoma Republlica primary, Sen. John McCain picked up 32 conventiio delegates, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabbe secured 6. Randy Krehbiel 581-8365 randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com Clinton, Obama prep for race to finish line LOS ANGELES TIMES With both candidates claimiin the lead, Democrats dug in Wednesday for a prolonged nominating fight testing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s establiishmen support against Sen. Barack Obama’s growing financial edge. As Missouri tipped into Obamma’ column, giving him 13 Super Tuesday states to eight for Clinton, campaign strategiist spent the day crunching vote totals to determine their share of delegates to the partyy’ national nominating conventtion Their tallies differed — each side asserting it was ahead — but both camps agreed the numbers were exceeddingl close, making for the most competitive Democraati race in at least 40 years. With another seven states voting over the next six days, Clinton promised no respite, despite a voice raw from overusse “It’s going to be a mad dash until Tuesday,” the New York senator told reporters at her campaign headquarters outside Washington. “Not a lot of time to catch your breath. We are full speed ahead.” In Chicago, Obama also claimed victory, asserting he not only won more states Tuesday but will beat Clinton in the delegate count once the final results are known days or weeks from now. “I think the Clinton camp’s basic attitude was that the whole calendar was set up to deliver the knockout blow on Feb. 5,” Obaam told reporters before flyiin to Washington for a day off the campaign trail. “We’ve got many more rounds to fight.” He waved off Clinton’s propoosa for a series of debates between now and the March 4 primaries. DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIST. 1 TP PR Clinton Obama Edwards Creek 5 5 469 141 90 Rogers 9 9 1,124 477 198 Tulsa 266 266 29,362 22,873 3,100 Wagoner 38 38 4,713 1,901 672 Washington 24 24 2,695 1,448 418 RegTotals 342 342 38,363 26,840 4,478 DIST. 2 TP PR Clinton Obama Edwards Adair 18 18 1,704 395 397 Atoka 15 15 1,392 307 287 Bryan 29 29 3,532 1,043 730 Cherokee 26 26 4,319 1,481 619 Choctaw 18 18 1,579 576 414 Coal 12 12 674 184 112 Craig 17 17 1,677 569 289 Delaware 22 22 3,488 1,176 577 Haskell 17 17 1,666 410 444 Hughes 16 16 1,576 419 409 Johnston 13 13 1,181 403 297 Latimer 13 13 1,207 338 361 LeFlore 39 39 4,478 1,418 1,208 McCurtain 32 32 2,108 875 740 McIntosh 17 17 2,671 819 448 Mayes 26 26 4,139 1,061 572 Muskogee 33 33 6,753 3,145 1,243 Nowata 12 12 1,007 295 151 Okfuskee 16 16 1,113 476 334 Okmulgee 34 34 3,792 1,574 657 Ottawa 20 20 2,622 932 427 Pittsburg 49 49 4,264 1,557 1,119 Pushmataha 17 17 1,528 463 625 Rogers 26 26 5,291 2,138 1,108 Sequoyah 33 33 3,946 1,080 892 RegTotals 570 570 67,707 23,134 14,460 DIST. 3 TP PR Clinton Obama Edwards Alfalfa 11 11 287 164 77 Beaver 9 9 118 109 79 Beckham 13 13 1,262 519 375 Blaine 11 11 642 308 183 Caddo 25 25 2,478 892 569 Canadian 41 41 3,454 1,871 642 Cimarron 7 7 97 82 69 Creek 39 39 4,761 1,680 796 Custer 13 13 1,545 860 451 Dewey 11 11 350 215 160 Ellis 10 10 244 130 131 Garfield 33 33 2,597 1,334 437 Grant 10 10 330 199 87 Greer 16 16 551 280 222 Harmon 8 8 310 154 118 Harper 9 9 162 139 109 Jackson 19 19 1,330 648 435 Kay 34 34 2,523 1,291 490 Kingfisher 17 17 685 366 195 Kiowa 14 14 1,006 401 279 Lincoln 23 23 2,600 971 684 Logan 23 23 1,809 1,378 359 Major 14 14 327 175 127 Noble 17 17 731 401 208 Osage 31 31 3,772 2,478 698 Pawnee 12 12 1,327 531 249 Payne 39 39 3,646 2,790 559 Roger Mills 10 10 311 168 205 Texas 16 16 391 260 179 Washita 13 13 987 446 361 Woods 8 8 456 264 130 Woodward 15 15 864 438 252 RegTotals 571 571 41,953 21,942 9,915 DIST. 4 TP PR Clinton Obama Edwards Canadian 13 13 1,333 749 264 Carter 28 28 3,467 1,562 796 Cleveland 90 90 12,976 9,529 1,588 Comanche 43 43 5,117 3,628 935 Cotton 12 12 649 239 160 Garvin 24 24 2,648 922 740 Grady 42 42 42 3,554 1,414 838 Jefferson 11 11 700 225 161 Love 13 13 1,159 336 257 McClain 26 26 2,454 976 599 Marshall 12 12 1,276 450 202 Murray 12 12 1,619 483 396 Oklahoma 24 24 2,879 2,608 423 Pontotoc 26 26 3,125 1,290 665 Stephens 29 29 3,671 1,351 885 Tillman 10 10 773 298 234 RegTotals 415 415 47,400 26,060 9,143 DIST. 5 TP PR Clinton Obama Edwards Oklahoma 275 275 24,952 27,521 2,826 Pottawatomie 31 31 4,955 2,122 1,092 Seminole 16 16 2,074 853 449 RegTotals 322 322 31,981 30,496 4,367 Total 2,220 2,220 228,425 130,087 42,717 REPUBLICAN PARTY DIST. 1 TP PR Huckabee McCain Romney Creek 5 5 323 189 167 Rogers 9 9 946 664 674 Tulsa 266 266 24,842 23,989 19,982 Wagoner 38 38 3,041 2,087 1,901 Washington 24 24 2,580 2,898 1,885 RegTotals 342 342 31,732 29,827 24,609 DIST. 2 TP PR Huckabee McCain Romney Adair 18 18 837 396 150 Atoka 15 15 194 144 91 Bryan 29 29 532 398 335 Cherokee 26 26 1,001 754 412 Choctaw 18 18 122 116 81 Coal 12 12 65 49 51 Craig 17 17 360 265 177 Delaware 22 22 1,377 1,066 682 Haskell 17 17 198 82 52 Hughes 16 16 163 166 103 Johnston 13 13 127 98 68 Latimer 13 13 139 81 46 LeFlore 39 39 1,077 358 332 McCurtain 32 32 290 169 112 McIntosh 17 17 362 320 135 Mayes 26 26 1,369 936 642 Muskogee 33 33 1,532 1,388 712 Nowata 12 12 352 331 181 Okfuskee 16 16 186 158 99 Okmulgee 34 34 898 598 459 Ottawa 20 20 611 463 311 Pittsburg 49 49 664 604 307 Pushmataha 17 17 84 84 58 Rogers 26 26 2,935 2,238 1,884 Sequoyah 33 33 849 366 289 RegTotals 570 570 14,945 11,628 7,769 DIST. 3 TP PR Huckabee McCain Romney Alfalfa 11 11 369 422 139 Beaver 9 9 345 443 223 Beckham 13 13 442 438 148 Blaine 11 11 402 589 228 Caddo 25 25 448 530 233 Canadian 41 41 2,965 3,602 2,297 Cimarron 7 7 148 164 61 Creek 39 39 2,597 1,998 1,450 Custer 13 13 823 858 408 Dewey 11 11 208 250 103 Ellis 10 10 436 742 237 Garfield 33 33 2,345 3,572 1,719 Grant 10 10 270 354 132 Greer 16 16 91 100 37 Harmon 8 8 35 29 11 Harper 9 9 167 245 89 Jackson 19 19 524 620 361 Kay 34 34 1,904 2,846 947 Kingfisher 17 17 614 1,093 475 Kiowa 14 14 148 162 92 Lincoln 23 23 1,312 1,371 727 Logan 23 23 1,565 1,965 1,301 Major 14 14 588 652 270 Noble 17 17 510 677 253 Osage 31 31 1,561 1,262 875 Pawnee 12 12 502 475 336 Payne 39 39 2,180 2,780 1,640 Roger Mills 10 10 98 108 45 Texas 16 16 552 591 421 Washita 13 13 279 281 137 Woods 8 8 431 778 250 Woodward 15 15 806 1,057 331 RegTotals 571 571 25,459 30,684 15,858 DIST. 4 TP PR Huckabee McCain Romney Canadian 13 13 1,517 1,533 1,131 Carter 28 28 878 1,005 571 Cleveland 90 90 7,609 9,369 6,798 Comanche 43 43 1,544 2,299 1,329 Cotton 12 12 68 61 45 Garvin 24 24 616 547 306 Grady 42 42 1,579 1,651 1,049 Jefferson 11 11 43 66 57 Love 13 13 106 135 95 McClain 26 26 1,206 1,194 845 Marshall 12 12 154 250 185 Murray 12 12 188 221 97 Oklahoma 24 24 1,724 2,260 1,426 Pontotoc 26 26 760 708 384 Stephens 29 29 1,172 1,191 706 Tillman 10 10 94 111 65 RegTotals 415 415 19,258 22,601 15,089 DIST. 5 TP PR Huckabee McCain Romney Oklahoma 275 275 16,203 24,918 17,887 Pottawatomie 31 31 1,939 1,770 997 Seminole 16 16 498 417 195 RegTotals 322 322 18,640 27,105 19,079 Total 2,220 2,220 111,865 122,748 83,018 Thursday, February 7, 2008 J J A 7 m OKLAHOMA’S PRESIDENTIAL RACES: COUNTY BY COUNTY AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Unoffical results McCain Huckabee Tied between McCain and Huckabee WANTED -12 HOMES TO TRAIN SIDING & WINDOW APPLICATORS (Under supervision -fully guaranteed) TO APPLY VINYL SIDING & INSULATED WINDOWS HURRY AND CALL TODAY!! 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