Barack Obama has cruised past a fading Hillary Clinton in their tooth-and-nail White House race by winning both the Wisconsin and Hawaiian primaries. The wins brought Obama to ten straight victories over the past three weeks.

However, having seen the polls from those states going against her, Mrs Clinton had already decided to focus all her efforts on the bigger Texas and Ohio contests.

Analysts say she must win these to have any chance of securing the Democratic nomination for presidential candidate.

But, despite taking a strong, Illinois senator Mr Obama today warned it would take months of hard work to seal his victory.

"As wonderful as this gathering is, as exciting as these enormous crowds and this enormous energy may be - what we're trying to do here is not easy," Obama told a rally in Houston, Texas.

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"It is going to require something more. Because the problem that we face in America today is not the lack of good ideas.

"It's that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die."

Polls published yesterday, however, showed Mr Obama, 46, is dramatically cutting into her once formidable lead in both those states.

A month ago Mrs Clinton, 60, was ahead by 17 points in Texas but this is down to two points.

In Ohio she is still leading by 9 per cent - but that is down from 19 per cent a month ago.

Going into yesterday's voting Mr Obama had won in eight straight states.

The polls predicted he would swamp her in Hawaii but Wisconsin is brimming with working class white voters who have supported Mrs Clinton in the past.

A month ago she was expected to win the state with ease, but this week's polls had Mr Obama with a slight lead.

Mrs Clinton's desperation is reflected in a new round of attacks on her rival and charges that his campaign is built on style more than substance.

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