(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-04 20:25

"Tony Rezko was a friend and supporter of mine for many years. These charges are completely unrelated to me, and nobody disputes that," Obama said at a news conference in San Antonio.

Obama did receive a $10,000 contribution made by a Rezko associate that is mentioned in the indictment. But Obama's campaign has long since sent the money to charity.

"There's no dispute that he raised money for us, and there's no dispute that we've tried to get rid of it," Obama said.

Meanwhile, Clinton waged yet another marathon day on Monday, shaking hands in the chill pre-dawn darkness with workers at a Chrysler factory in Toledo and winding up in Texas. She predicted a strong showing in the primaries and said she was looking ahead to contests down the road like Pennsylvania on April 22.

She sounded a populist economic theme as she courted voters who have suffered with the decline of manufacturing in the industrial Midwest and Ohio. Then, in military-friendly Texas, Clinton broadened her theme to include veterans' issues and to trumpet her backing from a string of top military officers.

Clinton worked to underscore her core campaign theme that she's the more experienced on the issue. She held a one-hour town hall meeting where she strode the stage surrounded by a friendly audience and took questions selected from the thousands that were submitted on issues ranging from health care to education to veterans issues. Her campaign purchased time on a sports-oriented cable network to broadcast the event around the state, and the event was streamed on the campaign's Web site.

Both Clinton and Obama launched new television spots in Texas and Ohio to make their closing arguments.

Clinton ended her day with a rambunctious rally in Austin before flying to Houston.

Obama campaign manager David Pollute called Tuesday "the last big window of opportunity" for Clinton, noting that "enormous leads" she enjoyed as recently as two weeks ago had dwindled or evaporated.

Still, he said Obama was mindful that "this could go on for some time. We're prepared for whatever situation occurs."

Republican presidential contenders John McCain and Mike Huckabee also campaigned in Texas, though voter interest centered on the closer Democratic race.

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