US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton faces increasing odds as a new opinion poll shows rival Barack Obama consolidating his nationwide support.
A Gallup tracking survey indicated the Illinois senator extending his lead over Mrs Clinton among Democrats nationally to 52% versus 42%, Mr Obama's largest lead of the year so far.
This marks the first time either candidate has held a double-digit lead over the other since early February, when Mrs Clinton led Obama by 11 percentage points.
Yesterday the New York senator vowed to stay in the White House race to the bitter end as party elders floated ideas to avert a paralyzing struggle between her and Mr Obama.
In a Washington Post interview, the former first lady said she had no intention of stopping until she sees what happens in the next ten contests and until Florida and Michigan are resolved.
The two states were stripped of their delegates to the Democrats' August convention when they advanced their primaries into January.
Mrs Clinton won both contests and needs the results to stand to have any chance of overhauling Mr Obama's lead in the national popular vote.
The Clinton-backing chief executive of Pennsylvania, which is the next state to vote on 22 April, said it was a 'disgrace' that Mr Obama's campaign was pressing for him to become the nominee with weeks of voting to go.
But Governor of Pennsylvania Edward Rendell said he would love for the two Democrats to join forces against Republican candidate John McCain for November's general election.
Mrs Clinton, who is behind Mr Obama in terms of elected delegates and states won, is under mounting pressure to bow out of the nominating race so that the Democrats can take the fight to Mr McCain.
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