US: Retired general Wesley Clark has emerged as the chief rival to Mr Howard Dean for the Democratic nomination for president.
Mr Clark narrowed what had been a 21-point deficit to four points in a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll published yesterday.
The poll showed the former Vermont governor ahead by 24-20 over the retired general, with other rivals such as Senator John Kerry, Senator Joe Lieberman and Congressman Dick Gephardt well adrift.
Meanwhile, President Bush improved his rating among voters to 60 per cent overall, a rise of some 8 per cent in the last two months. Some 55 per cent of voters said they were satisfied with the way things are going in the country, the highest level in nearly nine months.
Mr Bush's standing at this point in the re-election process is better than that of president Bill Clinton when he faced re-election in 1996.
Mr Dean's front-runner status in a field of nine could be undermined if the race narrowed to two likely winners, and he is seen as too weak on national security to beat the incumbent Republican President, observers say.
Mr Clark has little prospect of beating Mr Dean in the New Hampshire primary but could pick up momentum in southern states, where his military record may attract more conservative Democratic voters.
Mr Dean has broken all Democratic presidential fundraising records, however, raising $5 million a month in the last quarter of 2003, and Mr Clark, a late entrant, is struggling financially.
The Democratic front-runner has rejected matching public funds that would limit his spending and has set a target of raising $200 million before the Democratic convention in June.
Mr Bush already has $99 million in his campaign fund, and he has been raising money four times faster than Mr Dean.