Fox News projects that Hillary Clinton has won in Oklahoma and Tennessee; Barack Obama took Alabama and his home state of Illinois. Missouri, Connecticut, and Delaware all remain too close to call. (UPDATE: FNC decision team had AL too close to call until about 9:30)

More spin from the Clinton campaign on their victories below the fold — they say this demonstrates that Hillary Clinton can compete and win in red states.

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Hillary Clinton’s St Louis rally included a woman calling President Bush a “Bastard,” two folks passing out from the heat, lots of coughing from the candidate, and a soundtrack featuring a version of campaign staple “Taking Care of Business” that included the lead singer yelling “make some noise, this is a pot festival.” But it also included one of Senator Clinton’s most impassioned arguments about why she’d make the best Democratic nominee.

One questioner said she believed Hillary would make the best president, but that she was “just really scared” about her electability. Sen Clinton called on the woman to have faith. “If you think I would be the best president, you have to believe I can demonstrate that to the rest of the country.” Her critics claimed she could never win her Senate race in New York in 2000, she said — but she trusted the voters and pulled through in a tough battle (maybe an overstatement — her opponent, Congressman Rick Lazio, was universally regarded as a pretty poor candidate).

As for that other guy she’s running against today? “My opponent hasn’t had to go through that kind of baptism by fire,” she said. “I think in a general election, you know what’s going to happen to whoever we nominate. Lets not kid ourselves. It will be open season once again. We need to nominate someone with experience and fortitude and know-how to take whatever they throw at us and send it right back.”

She said she knows when to find common ground, and when to stand her ground — a common line on the trail that she used to bash Obama as a uniter without a purpose. “There are a lot of bad ideas out there,” she said. “I don’t think we want unity for the sake of unity. We want unity for the kind of progress that will move our country forward.”

And stealing a line from her husband, Clinton said “I may be a little battle scarred, but think of me in the same way you’d think of somebody who had to conduct a serious operation on somebody you loved. Think about that. Think about somebody who has been through it, who’s not only survived but thrived.”

And as for that “bastard reference,” Hillary smiled as the woman continued her question — a diatribe about whether Mexico and the US were conspiring to create a super-country — but never said a word for or against the statement. Instead, she said if such an agreement were in place, when she’s president she’ll end it in “a bird-dog minute.”

FOX News’ Major Garrett sat down with Senator Barack Obama this morning in St. Louis, Missouri, where he asked the senator about football and a little politics.

Grab some chili and a beer and catch it here:

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Senator Obama will root for the New England Patriots tonight, but don’t think of it as rooting against Hillary Clinton’s home team. Senator Obama appreciates the history the Pats will make should they go undefeated this season, per advisors. The senator will watch the Superbowl on FOX at his home in Chicago with his family and some of his Secret Service detail.

Los Angeles, CA-

After a debate where Mike Huckabee was largely left on the sidelines with Libertarian Ron Paul, due to a format that favored the two leading contenders, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, Huckabee is looking for a boost in the last days before the mega-state primaries on February, 5th. Huckabee today embarks on a pre-Tsunami Tuesday campaign swing that will lead him through many of the Southern, and Heartland states-like Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Georgia- that are at the center of his Southern state strategy; the last stand for this Little-Train-That-Could of GOP presidential campaigns.

” I am optimistic about our chances and the path forward seems clear,” Huckabee said, in a message titled “Full Throttle”, to supporters yesterday.”When I look at Super Tuesday, I see a number of key Southern states, and other strong  conservative states, that are likely to add to our delegate count and put us on the right track towards winning the Republican nomination.”

However, due to McCain’s  freight train-like momentum, after back to back primary wins, and gargantuan endorsements like the Governator’s today in California( a delegate-heavy Super Tuesday state), Huckabee’s effort, while herculean, could fall well short of it’s intended target. Verifiable signs of the tough road head for the Huckabee campaign are already appearing, like large hurdles in front of a sprinter, trying to catch up to the lead runner. According to poll numbers released today in some of those Southern states, McCain leads Huckabee by double digits.

Insider Advantage has McCain leading Huckabee in Tennessee, 33 to 25. In Georgia, where Huckabee campaigned recently, he is down 11 points, 35 to 24 (5% MOE).

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