WASHINGTON, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Portraits of candidates of Democratic candidates for president, vying for the party nomination in the sprint to first nominating caucuses and primaries in early January.

Clinton 59, is vying to become America's first woman president, and first former First Lady to make it to the White House in her own right. Wife of 42nd president Bill Clinton (1993-2001), the first Democrat to win two presidential terms since World War II. A New York Senator, Clinton vows to end the Iraq war, restore US prestige abroad and reform healthcare.

WASHINGTON, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - White House challenger Barack Obama is trying to stamp out the notion that front-runner Hillary Clinton is the 'inevitable' Democratic nominee, warning it is too early for her to declare 'mission accomplished.'

Obama, who styles himself as a break from the politics of rancor which he says has stifled Washington, is cranking up increasingly personal rhetoric against the former first lady.

WASHINGTON, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Former US vice president Al Gore said Wednesday that his Nobel Peace Prize triumph had not altered his intention to stay out of the 2008 presidential race.

But Gore could still shake up the Democratic Party nomination by endorsing a candidate other than front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Speculation following the peace prize announcement last week that Gore would run was quashed he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: 'I don't have plans to be a candidate again, so I don't really see it in that context at all.'

WASHINGTON, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Former US vice president Al Gore on Wednesday ruled out a late entry into the 2008 presidential race, but could still shake up the Democratic Party nomination by endorsing a candidate other than front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Speculation that Gore would run was quashed when the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: 'I don't have plans to be a candidate again, so I don't really see it in that context at all.'

WASHINGTON, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Friday took his most hostile swipe yet at rival Hillary Clinton, pouring scorn on her judgement on foreign policy hotspots Iraq and Iran.

The Clinton campaign hit straight back, after what appeared to be a strategic shift by Obama, accusing him of abandoning his signature 'politics of hope' theme in a desperate bid to carve into her huge lead in opinion polls.

WASHINGTON, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday it would be 'very, very exciting' to have Hillary Clinton as America's first woman president, but stopped short of endorsing the 2008 frontrunner.

The country's top elected Democrat, a practicing Catholic, also said that she prayed 'all the time' for President George W. Bush's health -- but also for the Republican leader to change tack on Iraq and children's health insurance.

MIAMI, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - Two top Florida Democrats on Thursday sued their own party in a dispute over the timing of the presidential primary in the state famed for the chaos that held up the 2000 presidential election results for five weeks.

The bitter battle has its roots in Florida's decision to hold its primary elections on January 29, earlier than allowed under the Democrats national rules.

The Democratic National Committee retaliated by voting to exclude the 210 Florida delegates from the 2008 convention where the party's presidential candidate will be picked.

WASHINGTON, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - Democrat Hillary Clinton would beat Republican Rudolph Giuliani in the race for the US presidency if the election was held now, according to poll data released Thursday.

Senator Clinton, wife of ex-president Bill Clinton and the strong front-runner for the Democratic nomination for next year's election, held a 51-43 percent margin over Giuliani in a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - Hillary Clinton cemented her advantage in the Democratic presidential race Wednesday, basking in a 33 point opinion poll lead over rival Barack Obama and snapping up a key trade union endorsement.

Clinton grabbed support from a majority of Democrats for the first time in the new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a day after walloping Obama with her latest three-month fundraising total of 27 million dollars.

WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - Hillary Clinton basked Wednesday in a 33 percent opinion poll lead over her top Democratic White House rival Barack Obama, in another coup for her increasingly formidable campaign.

Clinton grabbed support from a majority of Democrats for the first time in the new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a day after walloping Obama with her latest three month fundraising total of 27 million dollars.

CHICAGO, Oct 2, 2007 (AFP) - US Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday called for the elimination of all the world's nuclear weapons, and pledged to thrash out agreements, face-to-face with sworn US foes.

Obama marked the fifth anniversary of a speech he gave opposing the Iraq war, to launch his latest bid to chase down Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, reigniting their simmering row on foreign policy.

WASHINGTON, Sept 26, 2007 (AFP) - US Democratic presidential candidates called for diplomacy in tackling Iran's nuclear ambitions in a debate Wednesday as front-runner Hillary Clinton fended off jabs from her rivals.

The Democrats in the 2008 White House race all spoke of the need to prevent Iran from building a nuclear arsenal amid rising US-Iran tensions but stopped short of openly advocating military action, urging direct diplomacy with Tehran and rallying US allies to impose tough sanctions.

NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama Monday warned of an erosion in business ethics, which he said offended US morals and endangered the might of US financial markets.

In a major speech on economic policy, the Illinois Senator condemned the Bush administration's 'massive tax cuts' and called for more transparency in the housing market, following the subprime mortgage crisis.

WASHINGTON, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) - Democrats charged Monday that the US 'surge' strategy in Iraq had failed even before General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker began testifying on the results of the troop buildup.

'The fact remains, gentlemen, that the administration has sent you here today to convince the members of these two committees that victory is at hand,' said Representative Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

'With all due respect to you, I must say I don't buy it,' he said.

MIAMI, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) - US Democratic presidential hopefuls made history by holding a debate on the main US Spanish-language television network late Sunday in which their answers were translated from English.

Seven presidential candidates were at the event, including the three front runners, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Illinois Senator Barack Obama and former South Carolina Senator John Edwards. Senator Joe Biden, who just returned from Iraq, was absent.

MIAMI, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) - In a dramatic sign of fast-changing US society's makeup, eight Democratic presidential hopefuls are set to take part in the first televised Spanish-language debate Sunday to court Hispanics, the largest US minority group.

The candidates -- two of whom are fluent Spanish speakers -- are not expected to answer questions in Spanish but their responses will be simultaneously translated for the live broadcast on the Univision network.

MIAMI, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) - Eight Democratic presidential hopefuls on Sunday are to stage the first-ever televised Spanish language debate in a bid to garner votes from the rapidly growing bloc of Hispanic voters in the United States.

The candidates -- only two of whom are fluent Spanish speakers -- are not expected to answer questions in Spanish but their responses will be simultaneously translated for the live broadcast on the Univision network.

LOS ANGELES, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) - A bevy of Hollywood A-list stars raised some three million dollars for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at an event hosted by talk show queen Oprah Winfrey late Saturday, US media reported.

Winfrey is known for turning obscure writers into best-selling authors by recommending their books on her mega-popular TV talk show. This is the first time that she has endorsed a political candidate.

WASHINGTON, Sept 7, 2007 (AFP) - Key Democrats in Congress, frustrated by repeated failures to get troops home from Iraq, are backing away from fixed withdrawal timelines, hoping to win Republican backing for anti-war measures.

The move appears to be a sign the party has concluded that President George W. Bush's once-shaky Republican support in the US Senate has solidified, days before the White House unveils a critical report on the war.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - Bill Clinton had a weekend campaign party like it was 1992, wading through crowds and backslapping his way around the US electoral heartland, boosting wife Hillary's 2008 presidential race.

The former president wallowed in nostalgia in New Hampshire, which rescued his own White House dreams 15 years ago, beseeching Democratic loyalists to send his wife Hillary back to his old desk in the Oval Office.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - Pace-setting Democrat Hillary Clinton pledged Monday to order top military brass to start bringing home troops from Iraq, if she captures the White House in 2008.

As President George W. Bush paid a surprise visit to Iraq's Anbar province to highlight his drive for more time for his 'troop surge' policy, Clinton vowed that she would begin troop withdrawals in early 2009.

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - Hillary and Bill Clinton once called the White House home, yet are now seeking to wrest the mantra of political change from her Democratic foe Barack Obama.

The former first couple debuted an audacious new campaign theme as the 2008 presidential race hit the traditional starting line for US elections, the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Their message was that talk about political reform after the presidency of George W. Bush is easy, but what counts is which candidate has the nous to push it through.

WASHINGTON, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - Democrats on Tuesday accused President George W. Bush of painting a 'rosy picture' of Iraq and of confusing Americans by linking the war there to the September 11 attacks in 2001.

The claims came hours after Bush said in a speech that victory in Iraq was the only way to beat Al-Al Qaeda, and to safeguard US security.

Political rhetoric mounted as members of Congress prepared to return to Washington next week for a showdown over the president's troop surge strategy.

WASHINGTON, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - Hillary Clinton vowed to beat the Republican 'attack machine' but Barack Obama chided her as a symbol of poisoned politics, as the top two Democratic 2008 rivals clashed in their latest debate.

In a feisty showdown in the strategic state of Iowa, the two senators cranked up their feud over foreign policy and each insisted they were best qualified to be the next US president.

WASHINGTON, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic White House rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama locked horns in their latest 2008 campaign debate on Sunday, each arguing they were best qualified to be president.

Front-runner Clinton and Obama used their latest debate in the key strategic state of Iowa to renew their feud over foreign policy, and who could best heal divisions cleaving US politics.

LOS ANGELES, Aug 9, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and her 2008 party rivals courted the support of gay and lesbian voters here Thursday at an unprecedented presidential campaign forum.

Clinton, top challenger Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards were among six of the eight Democratic hopefuls who descended on Hollywood for the forum, broadcast live and online by gay and lesbian television station Logo.

LOS ANGELES, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and her 2008 Democratic rivals will Thursday scramble for votes at an unprecedented presidential campaign debate devoted to gay and lesbian issues.

Six of eight Democratic hopefuls will gather in Hollywood, for a forum to be broadcast live and online by Logo, a gay and lesbian network spun off from MTV.

The event will highlight the fault line between Democrats who largely back broader gay and lesbian rights, and Republicans, who prefer to seek support of traditional 'family values' conservatives.

CHICAGO, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic presidential candidates fired a stinging round of attacks on China Tuesday, bemoaning 'bad food' imports and defective toys while accusing Beijing of manipulating the yuan.

It was the first sign of 'China bashing' -- a staple of past US campaigns -- and came as candidates debated before 15,000 labor-union members concerned about lost US blue-collar jobs and the impact of global free trade.

CHICAGO, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - Senator Barack Obama rebuked Democratic White House rivals who mocked him as naive on foreign policy Tuesday, refusing to accept lessons from those he said invited 'disaster' by backing the Iraq war.

Obama defended his statement last week that he would be prepared to order strikes against Al-Al Qaeda in lawless tribal areas in Pakistan, if President Pervez Musharraf did not act first.

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - A fierce and increasingly personal row is raging between rival White House hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, opening a testy new phase in the battle for the 2008 Democratic nomination.

Months of polite sparring between the two Democratic hot-shots has dissolved into a bitter public spat over whether the United States should talk to its sworn enemies.

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic White House front-runner Hillary Clinton took a new swipe at her top challenger Barack Obama Thursday, accusing him of ditching 'hope' for political smears as the 2008 race heats up.

The first big row between the rivals has been raging since Monday when Senator Obama said in a debate he would talk directly to leaders of US foes like Iran and North Korea.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic White House hopefuls made history Monday, parrying Internet video questions from voters soured on modern politics, in a sign of the Web`s booming role in elections.

'Wassup? asked the first questioner Zach Kempf from Provo, Utah, in a greeting heralding an unconventional two-hour 2008 campaign debate hosted by video-sharing website YouTube and broadcast by CNN from South Carolina.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic White House hopefuls Monday faced a grilling from voters who posed questions in Internet videos, in a unique debate showcasing the Web's rising role in politics.

More than 3,000 Americans uploaded questions on video-sharing site YouTube which were then played in the debate grouping eight Democratic candidates here, co-hosted and broadcast by CNN.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton Monday headed into a unique campaign debate featuring questions posed on Internet videos, after cementing her opinion poll lead.

The New York senator was set to face Barack Obama, John Edwards and her other challengers in the two hour debate in South Carolina sponsored by video-sharing website YouTube and CNN at 2300 GMT.

MIAMI BEACH, Florida, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - Tropical beats as hot as the muggy air outside warmed up the crowd and set the tone for Hillary Clinton`s appearance before Hispanic voters, a group expected to play a key role both in the primaries and the US presidential election.

Barely minutes after the former first lady waved goodbye, swaying to the tune of a mariachi band, it was the turn of fellow Democratic senator Barack Obama to woo the crowd at the Miami Beach convention center on Sunday.

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - Senate Democrats vowed Sunday to press ahead with legislation on pulling US troops from Iraq, despite a major defeat last week in their efforts to pass a bill.

'After May 1 of next year, all American troops should be out of there except those dealing with counterterrorism, training Iraqis and protecting our assets,' top Senate Democrat Harry Reid told CBS television on Sunday.

'Academics and military people say Iraq is in chaos right now,' he continued.