Hillary Pulling Out All the Stops

Her strategists have talked constantly about Texas and Ohio, which vote March 4, rarely mentioning Wisconsin and its primary Tuesday.

Even so, she has made a highly visible effort in the past week in Wisconsin, using a full range of political tools — toughly worded television commercials, top-level surrogates, satellite interviews and conference calls with reporters — to create an effective presence.

She hopes to blunt Obama's momentum, either by beating him or coming close. Whatever the outcome, she's positioned herself to say that it came without a full-fledged effort.

State polls show only a single-digit gap between the two Democratic candidates in the race for 74 pledged delegates, with Obama leading.

"I'm hoping that Wisconsin is not going to let the rest of the country dictate how we vote," said Dawn Foster, 50, a Clinton voter who lives in the town of Portage. "Obama says that Hillary feels she's owed the nomination. I don't see it that way. I think she's earned it through all she's done in her career."

And Clinton has been fighting for it. Her campaign is taking on a newly assertive tone, a likely preview of what's to come in Ohio and Texas, starting with a debate in Austin on Thursday.