Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton each insisted Friday that the race for the Democratic presidential nomination wasn't over, even as Obama racked up at least nine more superdelegate commitments -- including another Clinton defector.

"We do not have this nomination locked up," Obama said in Beaverton. "Until I am the nominee, I don't want to speculate on running mates."

Obama went on to praise his Senate colleague from New York as "an extraordinary candidate, and an extraordinary public servant. ... She would be on anyone's short list of vice presidential candidates. But beyond that, I don't want to offer an opinion."

Later, at a taqueria in Woodburn, Obama dismissed as premature questions about whether he would help Clinton pay off campaign debts but hinted that he might.

"We'll obviously want to have a broad-ranging discussion with Senator Clinton about how I could make her feel good about the process and have her on the team moving forward," Obama said. "But, as I've said, it's premature right now. ... Our working assumption right now is that we're still in the middle of a race."

Several media tallies gave Obama the lead for the first time among superdelegates, which had been the last meaningful category in which Clinton claimed success.

Clinton, who also began the day in Oregon, showed no signs of slowing her pace and resumed her criticism of Obama. She had softened her jabs at him after losing badly Tuesday in North Carolina and eking out a win in Indiana.

Clinton slammed Obama for proposing what she described as less-than-comprehensive health care -- though many analysts and Obama himself say there is little difference between their plans.

"How can anyone run for the Democratic nomination and not have a universal health-care plan?" Clinton said in Portland. "This is a huge difference." Clinton was to finish the night speaking before a Democratic group in Louisville, Ky.

Although some Democrats worried that the protracted nomination race would push voters toward McCain, others are turning to Obama. He picked up at least nine new superdelegates Friday while Clinton added one new backer, Rep. Christopher Carney, whose northeast Pennsylvania district gave Clinton a 2-1 margin in the April 22 primary.

The flow of delegates to Obama led ABC News and The New York Times to declare Obama in the lead among superdelegates. The Associated Press, whose tally is used by the Los Angeles Times, still gave a slight advantage to Clinton -- with Obama closing quickly.

The new Obama endorsements include Rep. Donald M. Payne, D-N.J., a black supporter of Clinton. He jumped ship Friday morning, telling the Newark Star-Ledger that he had backed Clinton when he thought Obama's campaign was "just a trial balloon."

Obama put his focus on McCain.

"Senator McCain is running for president to double-down on George Bush's failed policies," Obama told several dozen employees of Beaverton's Vernier Software & Technology, which makes classroom products for science teachers.

With the Democrats in Oregon, McCain had the East Coast to himself, where he ignored Clinton to focus on the Illinois senator. And signaling the tenor of what many see as the campaign to come, McCain, during a brief visit to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J., defended his recent assertion that Hamas favored Obama.

McCain said it was "very obvious to everyone that Senator Obama shares nothing of the values or goals of Hamas, which is a terrorist organization" and contended that he "never implied anything else." But that "a spokesperson from Hamas said that he approves Senator Obama's candidacy" is of interest to the American people.

"That is something that needs to be discussed -- why his policies should meet the approval of a spokesperson for Hamas," McCain said. "I believe it's a legitimate point of discussion."

McCain also announced his support for a Senate measure to limit greenhouse gases sponsored by two of his closest Senate colleagues, John Warner, R-Va., and Joseph Lieberman, Ind.-Conn. The America's Climate Security Act would reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions to two-thirds of 2005 levels by midcentury.

Companies would have to meet certain pollution targets; if they exceeded them they would have to buy credits from companies whose emissions fall below the targets. The legislation has critics on both sides: business groups have complained that it would lead to energy cost increases and job losses; while some environmentalists believe it does not go far enough.

A vocal advocate of expanding nuclear power, McCain said he backed the bill after he and Lieberman negotiated "a far more important nuclear component," the details of which were still being worked out.

Abcarian reported from Albany and Drogin from Portland. Scott Martelle in Orange County in California and Maeve Reston in Jersey City contributed to this report.