Clinton faces toughest test, vowing to go on

TOLEDO, Ohio - Hillary Rodham Clinton steeled herself for a day of political reckoning, defiantly telling reporters yesterday that her campaign is "just warming up" - and suggesting she'll battle on regardless of today's results in Texas and Ohio.

Clinton, who holds a slim lead in the polls in Ohio but trails Barack Obama slightly in Texas, had until recently counted on the March 4 primaries to halt an 11-contest losing streak and narrow Obama's lead among delegates. She offered scaled-back expectations yesterday, refusing to predict what would happen and keeping her benchmark of victory vague.

When asked to define success today in Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island, Clinton said: "Winning. Winning. Winning, that's my measure of success - winning." She wouldn't say if that meant winning states or a majority of delegates.

The former first lady, working on about two hours' sleep, began her day offering doughnuts to shift workers at a Chrysler plant here before addressing reporters at a local hotel. From there it was on to Beaumont, Texas, for a rally in an airport hangar, followed by a televised town hall meeting and rally in Austin.