PHILADELPHIA, April 17: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama set off on duelling five-day dashes through Pennsyl-vania on Thursday, courting wavering Democrats ahead of a crucial presidential primary next week.

Campaign aides for each White House hopeful claimed victory after the senators clashed in a tense and grim debate here late on Wednesday, both arguing their candidate was best placed to beat Republican John McCain in November.

Obama was due to trek through the gritty north-eastern state by road, rail and air, even as his campaign downplayed expectations for him in a primary which polls show Clinton is favoured to win.

His aides hit out at the format of the debate on ABC television, after Obama was forced on the defensive over his fiery former pastor, comments that some working Americans were “bitter” and his reluctance to wear a US flag lapel pin.

“We talked about the stuff that consumes insiders in the political community, and that was unfortunate,” Obama’s top strategist David Axelrod told MSNBC television.

Clinton was also planning to criss-cross the state, racing towards Tuesday’s primary, the gateway to the intense end-game of the gruelling Democratic race, which has now lasted 15 months.

“We feel good about it, if Senator Obama is unable to win Pennsylvania, it will show once again he is having problems winning the big swing states,” Clinton communications czar Howard Wolfson told MSNBC.

Polls show Clinton with around a six-point lead in Pennsylvania, short of the blowout she would need to seriously dent Obama’s lead in elected delegates, going into the next two primaries in Indiana and North Carolina on May 6.

Clinton used the debate to hammer Obama on his character and his feel for American values as she tried to ignite a comeback bid.

But she also plainly said Obama could beat Republican presumptive nominee John McCain in November’s general election, even as she argues to leading members of her party that choosing him would be to risk defeat.

She rebuked Obama over incendiary sermons of his former pastor and his attitude to working Americans as she tried to whip up questions over his electability.

Obama should have left his Chicago church in protest at the fiery sentiments of Pastor Jeremiah Wright, raising those about the September 11 attacks in 2001, which caused a storm when aired online, she said.

“I have to say that for Pastor Wright to have given his first sermon after 9/11 and to have blamed the United States for the attack which happened in my city of New York would have been just intolerable for me,” Clinton said.

“Therefore, I would have not been able to stay in the church.” Clinton argues Obama’s comments about working class Americans last week could hamper Obama’s bid to win blue-collar swing voters in bellwether states.

Obama said he had “mangled” his words, but tried to navigate out of the drama.

“Yes, people are frustrated and angry about it, but what we’re seeing in this election is the opportunity to break through that frustration,” Obama said.

Both candidates said their rival could beat McCain in November. Asked if Obama was electable, the former first lady said: “Yes, yes, yes.

Obama likewise said “absolutely” on the question of whether Clinton was electable against McCain.—AFP