More support for Obama, Hillary fast losing her turf

The fresh setback came as polls indicated that the 60-year-old former first lady was fast losing her turf in the two states to the African American.

In January, the Clinton was leading by a 15 point margin nationally. Today/Gallup Poll released on Monday showed 51 per cent for Obama to 39 per cent for Clinton.

With a tough battle ahead, the vitriolic campaign was fuelled again by a photograph of Obama wearing a white turban and a robe during a 2006 visit to Kenya which appeared on the internet.

The photo was first circulated by internet gossip columnist Matt Drudge in The Drudge Report which said it purportedly came from a Clinton staffer through an e-mail but the New York Democrat dismissed the allegation as 8216;laughable8217;.

The Obama camp was not amused with manager David Plouffe accusing Clinton8217;s campaign of 8216;the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we8217;ve seen from either party in this election8217;.

But the Clinton surrogates hit back forcefully terming it as a strategy by Obama camp to distract the voters from real issues through a 8216;divisive8217; campaign.