Dems delegate count remains disputed

NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. political analysts say the disputed delegate count in the Democratic presidential campaign can sway the perception of a candidate's momentum.

The disputed count between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton also can affect their ability to raise money and sway party leaders, The New York Times reported Saturday.

"They are going to fight over every last delegate, because the delegates now have become a way for the candidates to claim momentum and everything that comes with that," said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic consultant in New York.

MSNBC has reported Obama, of Illinois, has 861 delegates while Clinton, of New York, has 855 delegates. Politico.com, however, says Clinton has 1,000 delegates to Obama's 902, while the New York Times claims Clinton has 912 to Obama's 741.

The confusion comes, in part, because some news organizations don't report delegates from caucuses until the delegates are officially certified within their states, which can happen months after the caucuses occurred.