PHILADELPHIA — Once considered the inevitable Democratic nominee for president, Hillary Rodham Clinton has lost eight times since coast-to-coast contests Feb. 5 that left her campaign treasury depleted.

As a result, nervous backers, including Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, have wondered aloud in recent days whether Clinton's campaign has been too slow to organize for Pennsylvania's potentially crucial April 22 primary — not to mention contests in Ohio and Texas, which vote March 4.

Clinton campaign officials and fundraisers are offering reassurance, pointing out that there is more than enough time to begin opening field offices and ramping up staff for Pennsylvania.

Indeed, rival Barack Obama has not spent significant money in the state yet, either.

David Dunphy, a neutral Democratic consultant, said campaign efforts here would be wasted now because Pennsylvania is the only major contest after March 4.

"Both candidates will be living in the state — we'll be swamped," Dunphy said. "It turns into Iowa."

Mark Aronchick, a Philadelphia lawyer who is a national cochair of Clinton's finance committee, said the campaign would have "ample resources" for Pennsylvania. "Whatever it takes," he said.

On Wednesday, Rendell complained in a New York Times interview that Clinton operatives had told him there was no money for a direct-mail advertisement he had proposed. "It sure didn't look like they had a game plan for after Super Tuesday," Rendell was quoted as saying.

But Thursday the governor backpedaled from those comments. "They had plenty of money, they just chose to use it on something else," Rendell said in a brief interview. "And that's their choice, not mine."

He said the Clinton campaign would be in good shape for April 22.

"Remember, there are nine weeks to go, so there's plenty of time to get on the ground organizationally," Rendell said, noting there is a good "nucleus" of fundraisers and volunteers in the state.

"I think the campaign here will go well," Rendell said, "but who knows what the flow of the campaign will be between now and then."

Clinton received some good news this week with the release of a Quinnipiac University poll of Democrats who said they were likely to vote in the Pennsylvania primary. She led Obama by 52 percent to 36 percent, according to the survey.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Clinton field director Guy Cecil vowed that the campaign would have competitive ground operations in all the states to come.

Clinton poured most of her resources into the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday contests, allowing Obama to since then rack up big victories in smaller caucus states where she was less active.

Cecil said the campaign was committed to having "the most effective and largest grass-roots effort in the states going forward."