NEW YORK, March 30: As the Democratic presidential race drags on with no clear winner, front runner Senator Barack Obama, is telling Senator Hillary Clinton to stay in the race until August when the Democrats gather in Denver (Colorado) to anoint their nominee for the president of the United States.

The Republicans already have a projected nominee in Senator John McCain who promises a 100-year war in Iraq.

The Democrats fear if Senator McCain wins the November contest it will be an extension of George Bush’s rule and more of the same.

Many Americans fear that Senator McCain could possibly take the United States to another war in the region.

Former Vietnam prisoner of war, McCain, has jumped on the extremist point of view in his party on the issue of Iran.

He is also proving to be a real Reagan as was clear from his opposition of a bailout package for the beleaguered homeowners who cannot pay their mortgages. It was, he said sternly, “not the duty of the government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly.”

As against that he has not opposed the bailout of giant Bear Stearns which went down two weeks ago bringing down the market with it.

McCain has an advantage he can now do his fundraising without looking over his shoulder and his Republican supporters have deep pockets and are committed.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic front the supporters of Obama and Mrs Clinton are bickering as to who should withdraw, who has chance to secure more delegates who gets more voters? Some of Obama’s supporters have been calling on Mrs Clinton to drop out.

But to his credit Obama said on Saturday that Hillary Clinton can stay in the race “as longs as she wants” and put distance between his views and those of supporter Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who has called for Mrs Clinton to quit. Senator Clinton rejected Senator Leahy’s suggested saying “fat chance”.

On Saturday, Mr Obama, answering a question on the subject at the news conference seemed to agree with Mrs Clinton.

“You know, there’s no doubt that among some of my supporters or some of her supporters, there’s probably been some irritation created,” he said. “You can’t tell me that some of my supporters are going to say, well, we’d rather have the guy who may want to stay in Iraq for a hundred years because we’re mad that Senator Clinton ran a negative ad against Senator Obama. And I think the converse is true as well.”

Mr Obama made the comments during a campaign swing through Pennsylvania which holds its primary on April 22. Polls there show him running behind Mrs Clinton by double-digit margins.