(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-11 09:11

WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama on Sunday tried to translate weekend victories into momentum going into this week's US presidential nominating contests, while Republican John McCain's march hit a few bumps in the road.

US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks to supporters during a rally in Alexandria, Virginia February 10, 2008. [Agencies]

After a string of losses, Democrat Hillary Clinton announced a staff shake-up on Sunday and replaced her campaign manager, though aides played down any notion the move was a sign of trouble for the New York senator in her tight fight with Obama.

McCain, an Arizona senator who became the likely Republican nominee last week when his chief rival dropped out, lost two of three state contests on Saturday but got a vote of confidence from President George W. Bush on Sunday.

Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black president, scored decisive wins over Clinton on Saturday in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington state in the race to be the Democratic nominee for the November 4 election.

Clinton, who would be the first woman president, said in a statement that Maggie Williams, a top aide when she was first lady, had taken over from Patti Solis Doyle as campaign manager. Solis Doyle will move into the role of senior adviser.

Clinton did not spell out why Solis Doyle was being replaced. The move comes as Obama raked in millions in campaign contributions in addition to the three Saturday wins.

A Clinton spokesman said the move did not reflect any change in the candidate's overall strategy.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee beat McCain on Saturday in Louisiana and Kansas and ran a very close second in Washington state. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, far behind in the Republican race, was a close third in Washington.

"It was great day for us," Huckabee said on Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press show. "This thing could go to the convention."

While saying he was staying in the race, Huckabee added that he would bow out if McCain won the 1,191 delegates needed to capture the Republican nomination at the party's national convention in September.

McCain has grabbed just less than two-thirds of that number of delegates with more than 20 of the 50 states still to hold Republican nominating races.

Bush, a Republican, has refused to endorse a candidate while Huckabee is still in the race but came close on Friday when he told a conservative conference, without mentioning names, that the party would soon have a nominee and needed to unite behind him.

Focus on Tuesday

Bush tried on Sunday to calm fears among conservatives that McCain was too liberal by calling him a "true conservative."

"If John's the nominee, he has got some convincing to do to convince people that he is a solid conservative," Bush said on Fox News Sunday. "And I'll be glad to help him if he's the nominee, because he is a conservative."

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