Wisconsin Important Prelude to Democratic Showdown in Texas, Ohio

MILWAUKEE — With snow, ice and fog forcing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to the campaign sidelines in the Badger State, surrogates tried to make the case for the support of Democratic Party on Sunday.

Meanwhile, John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, claimed progress in uniting Republicans and told ABC's "This Week" program that he can defeat either Obama or Clinton in the fall general election.

"I can out-campaign them, and I can out-debate them, and I can out-perform them," the 71-year-old Arizona senator said, adding he thinks his vision for America is more in keeping with most Americans.

The weather in Wisconsin forced Obama and Clinton to cancel rallies and town hall meetings across the state. Obama, the senator from Illinois, was stuck in his hometown of Chicago.

Clinton, who spent the night in Milwaukee, called off an event near Green Bay but briefly visited a local diner, mingling with voters and having a lunch of corned beef hash and eggs.

"I'm feeling good today," the New York senator said in response to questions about her chances in the campaign for the Democratic nomination.

She declined, however, to speculate on the outcome in the voting Tuesday when Wisconsin and Hawaii weigh in on the Democratic contest, an important prelude to an expected showdown March 4 in Texas and Ohio.

Polls show Obama leading in Wisconsin, perhaps one of the reasons why the Clinton campaign has cut short her campaigning here. She is expected to leave Monday afternoon.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, an Obama supporter, told "Fox News Sunday" that he expects the vote to be close here, but expressed confidence in an Obama victory.

"This is something really different that's happening from anything I've seen in politics, and I think that it is going to be a close race," Doyle said.

The ultimate winner of the Democratic contest could be determined by the 796 so-called "superdelegates" to the party's national convention in Denver this summer. "Superdelegates" are party officials, elected leaders and notable activists.

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said the "superdelegates" should vote for "who they think will be the best person for the nation and for the party."

But David Axelrod, chief strategist for Obama, said on CBS's "Face the Nation" program that the "superdelegates" should "pay attention to what's going on and make a judgment ... based on the results of the primaries."

So far, Obama has won 21 state primaries or caucuses and Clinton has won 10. But both have virtually the same number of elected delegates. Obama's victories have come in some important swing states, like Missouri and Virginia. But Clinton's victories have been in some of the larger states of importance in the general election, like California.

McCain, who has an insurmountable lead in the GOP delegate count over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, his last remaining Republican opponent, is seeking to unite his party and will get a boost in that effort Monday with the endorsement of former President George H.W. Bush.

"We've got to reunite the party, and we've got to re-energize the party," McCain said Sunday. "And I'm prepared to do that. We've got plenty of time. But I won't waste a day."