Obama, McCain poised for big wins

Barack Obama appeared poised Monday to trounce Hillary Clinton in today's "Potomac primary," as polls showed him with huge leads in Maryland and Virginia.

Obama, fresh from five weekend wins over Clinton in Louisiana, Washington state, Nebraska, Maine and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is hoping to add enough of the 168 delegates who are at stake in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia to unknot the two Democrats' virtual tie. He also hopes that big wins today will enhance his campaign's momentum ahead of the showdowns March 4 in Texas and Ohio.

Clinton, who campaigned at a General Motors transmission plant in suburban Baltimore, tried to project that she was strong and on the march.

"I feel good about where we are," the New York senator said, reminding her audience that "I'm still ahead in the popular vote and delegates."

However, while Clinton tried to sound upbeat, her campaign tried in advance to discount the impact of today's primaries by focusing on March 4.

Meanwhile, about 17,500 greeted Obama at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center. "It looks like we're having March madness a little early," the Illinois senator said.

On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain is expected today to add to his big delegate lead over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. McCain has 719 delegates to Huckabee's 234.

Obama has a narrow lead over McCain among people asked whom they would prefer if the presidential race were held now, while Clinton is about even with the GOP front-runner, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll indicated.

The survey is the first look at voter sentiment since last week's Super Tuesday and Mitt Romney's departure from the race. The poll of 1,029 adults conducted Feb. 7-10 shows Clinton leading Obama in the race for the Democratic nomination, 46 percent to 41 percent. McCain is well ahead of Huckabee, 44 percent to 30 percent.

The survey had an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

McCain challenged the notion he is struggling to rally conservative critics as he picked up the endorsement Monday of evangelical leader Gary Bauer. He also won the endorsement of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Bauer said, "I hope I can ... help unite conservatives going into what is going to be an extraordinarily important election." Bauer is well known, but he lacks the following of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who endorsed Huckabee.