Clinton to Obama: There's no nominee right now

MAYSVILLE, Ky. -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that rival Barack Obama may be getting ahead of himself in acting like the party's nominee before the final primary contests are over.

Clinton and Obama are still set to face off in several more primaries, including Kentucky and Oregon today, but Obama has been increasingly portraying himself as the nominee already facing Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain. Obama has scheduled appearances later this week in Iowa and Florida as he looks ahead to swing states in the general election.

"You can declare yourself anything, but if you don't have the votes, it doesn't matter," Clinton said Monday in a satellite interview with an Oregon television station before a campaign appearance in Kentucky.

The former first lady trails Obama in the delegate count by such a margin that it is mathematically unlikely for her to overtake him in the remaining primaries, which end June 3 with Montana and South Dakota.

But both candidates have been angling to win over the party leaders and elected officials known as superdelegates, whose support will likely determine the nominee. Obama recently surpassed Clinton in committed superdelegates.

Clinton has been arguing to superdelegates that she is more tested and experienced and has a better chance of beating McCain.

She said Monday that she is the "more progressive candidate" and dismissed Obama's large crowds, like the record rally of an estimated 65,000 in Portland on Sunday. Clinton said Obama, who has refused to debate her since they faced off before the Pennsylvania primary last month, would "rather just talk to giant crowds than have questions asked."