Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008

Republican presidential candidate and US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and his wife Cindy visit a polling station during a campaign in Charleston, South Carolina, Jan. 19, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican contender John McCain have received the golden blessings of the influential New York Times newspaper, marking a big boost to their bids for the White House.

    In an editorial Friday, the leading liberal national newspaper backed the New York Senator (Clinton) and the Arizona Senator as its primary choices in the presidential race.

    "The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work," the newspaper said. "Mrs Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president."

    Citing the former First Lady's ideas -- "her comeback in New Hampshire and strong showing in Nevada, her openness to explaining herself," the newspaper concluded that she is "the best choice for the Democratic Party as it tries to regain the White House."

    The paper also recognized Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama's popularity among voters with his understanding of "how much they are hungry for a break" with President George W. Bush's years, as well as "for leadership and vision and true bipartisanship."

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) greets workers at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino on caucus day in Las Vegas Jan. 19, 2008. U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton won the Democratic Nevada caucuses Saturday, beating arch-rival Barack Obama in a hard-fought race, while former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won a landslide victory on the Republican contest.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    However, the paper said, "We need more specifics to go with his amorphous promise of a new governing majority, a clearer sense of how he would govern."

    Although the newspaper disagreed with all Republicans running for president, the editorial still has a choice to make, "and it is an easy one."

    "Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe," the paper said.

    Currently, the two Senators have respectively led their parties in the national polls.

    Clinton is facing serious challenges from Obama in Saturday's South Carolina primary, since the latter is expected to win more support from black voters who account for more than half of the Democratic voters in the state.

    McCain is speeding up his campaign in Florida, the delegate-rich state at which former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani is also aiming.

    "That man is not running for president," the New York Times said, adding that Guiliani is not their choice.

Romney, Clinton win Michigan primaries

    BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Mitt Romney has won the Michigan Republican primary and Hillary Clinton has won the Democratic primary, media reported Wednesday.

    Romney was the third Republican victor in the first four states to vote in the 2008 primary season, further roiling a volatile nomination fight that lacks a clear favorite.

Michigan voters cast votes in selecting presidential candidates

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Michigan held presidential primary Tuesday to select presidential candidates for two major parties.

    The contest is significant for Republican candidates who are locked in a tight race in the state while it has little impact on Democrats as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has striped the state's right to send delegates to Democratic national convention.