Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton in Gallup Poll

Barack Obama kept on the defensive during Wednesday night's Democratic debate while Hillary Clinton apologized for Bosnia exaggerations.

Hillary Clinton still faces long odds as she tries to overcome Barack Obama's huge lead in the Democratic race for the presidential nomination.

The Illinois Senator again found himself explaining remarks considered offensive to Pennsylvania's working class voters, defending his relationship with a pastor who had made anti-American remarks, and explaining why he does not wear an American flag.

Senator Clinton also had to repeat explanations about exaggerated remarks about a trip to Bosnia. On at least three occasions Clinton told campaign audiences that she landed in Tuzla 12 years ago under sniper fire and had to run to waiting vehicles for safety. Television pictures of the event showed Clinton walking calmly to a waiting group of people and no evidence of gun fire.

Senator Obama holds a lead in delegates with just 10 primary and caucus contests remaining after the Pennsylvania vote. Clinton needs to win by a large margin there to keep her candidacy alive.

Clinton has tried to persuade the party's superdelegates, party leaders, lawmakers and officials that only she can defeat McCain. Neither Obama nor Clinton is likely to win enough votes to guarantee the party's nomination, so the votes of the 800 superdelegates are crucial for winning the nomination.

The New York Senator at first sidestepped the question about Obama's ability to win, but when pressed by ABC moderators a second time, she conceded that Obama could beat Republican rival John McCain in the November election.

Obama and Clinton are running rough campaigns and have attacked one another with increasingly personal criticism.

However, Obama said Clinton deserves the right to make some errors.

"I've made some too," Obama said.

A new Gallup Poll taken this week shows Obama with an 8 percentage-point lead among Democrats nationally over Clinton, 50-42.