Obama clinches Democratic nomination

[Klash]

TweetAP tally: Obama clinches Democratic nomination
Jun 3 01:24 PM US/Eastern

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama has effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates.

The tally put Obama over the top Tuesday, ahead of the results from the day's final primaries in Montana and South Dakota. The Illinois senator becomes the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House. Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic contest and now faces Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona for the presidency.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CHICAGO (AP)—History within his reach, Barack Obama was primed Tuesday to claim the Democratic presidential nomination while his dogged rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, prepared to spare her party an even more protracted fight and effectively end her campaign.

Two Clinton aides told The Associated Press that for all intents and purposes her campaign is over once Obama clinches the nomination. He could do so Tuesday night, or even sooner, as voters in Montana and South Dakota bring his months-long contest with Clinton to a close and as party superdelegates fall in line behind him.

Clinton aides said the New York senator will acknowledge that Obama has got the necessary delegates once he's over the top, although she planned to stop short of formally suspending or ending her campaign. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge her plans.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe suggested as much earlier in the day, saying that once Obama gets the majority of convention delegates, "I think Hillary Clinton will congratulate him and call him the nominee."

Obama edged closer to the nomination with some choreography by the party's superdelegates. The party insiders were lining up behind Obama at a rate that could seal the nomination once results are in from Montana and South Dakota—or even before.

Four more superdelegates endorsed him Tuesday morning—from Michigan, Missouri, and Massachusetts—leaving him just 37.5 delegates short of the 2,118 needed to put him over the top and make him the nation's first black presidential nominee from a major party. Nearly 200 superdelegates have yet to make an endorsement. They were expected to rally behind Obama in short order.

Clinton, once seen as a sure bet in her historic quest to become the first female president, was still pressing the superdelegates to support her fading candidacy. But McAuliffe indicated she was not inclined to drag out a dispute over delegates from the unsanctioned Michigan primary despite feeling shortchanged by a weekend compromise by the party's rules committee that she could still appeal to a higher level.

"I don't think she's going to go to the credentials committee," he said on NBC's "Today" show. Taking the matter to that committee would essentially extend the dispute into the convention and deny Democrats the unity they sorely want to achieve against Republican John McCain.

Seeing the cards fall into place for his November rival, McCain planned a prime time speech Tuesday night in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, La., in what is essentially a kickoff of the fall campaign.

Obama told The Associated Press on Monday that "we've got a lot of work to do in terms of bringing the party together" with the convention approaching.

"Once the last votes are cast, then it's in everybody's interest to resolve this quickly so we can pivot," he said.

Obama said there were a lot of superdelegates who have been private supporters of his but wanted to respect the process by not endorsing until the final primaries were done.

"We're still working the phones and we're still talking to people ... so we'll certainly have to wait until a little later tonight to see what the final tally is, but we certainly feel good waking up this morning," Robert Gibbs, Obama's spokesman, told CNN on Tuesday.

In a defiant shot across the GOP bow, Obama, who returned to hometown Chicago late Monday, planned to hold his wrap-up rally in St. Paul, Minn., at the arena that will be the site of the Republican National Convention in September.

Clinton returned to New York, the state she represents in the Senate, planning an end-of-primary evening rally in Manhattan after a grueling campaign finale as she pushed through South Dakota on Monday.

"I'm just very grateful we kept this campaign going until South Dakota would have the last word," she said at a restaurant in Rapid City in one of her final campaign stops.

The last primaries had 16 delegates at stake in Montana and 15 in South Dakota.

Clinton still sounded buoyant. Her biggest booster and most tireless campaigner, husband Bill Clinton, didn't. "This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," the former president said somberly as he stumped for her in South Dakota.

Ahead of Tuesday's concluding primaries, Obama sought to set the stage for reconciliation, praising Clinton's endurance and determination and offering to meet with her—on her terms—"once the dust settles" from their race.

"The sooner we can bring the party together, the sooner we can start focusing on McCain in November," Obama told reporters in Michigan. He said he spoke with Clinton on Sunday when he called to congratulate her on winning the Puerto Rico primary, most likely her last hurrah.

That fueled speculation for a "dream ticket" in which Clinton would become Obama's running mate—but neither camp was suggesting that was much of a possibility.

In the AP interview, Obama was asked when he would start looking for a running mate.

"The day after I have gotten that last delegate needed to officially claim the nomination, I'll start thinking about vice presidential nominees," he said. "It's a very important decision, and it's one where I'm going to have to take some time."

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[daved150]

Tweetyipee....they all still suck

[Dzone]

Tweetthey do suck. Ya, Hillary might concede, but it wont come without her making a fool of herself by saying something outrageously stupid...LOL...she never fails to act like an idiot. Obama is nothing but a slick, private high school grad, elitist, politician. Professional deceiver. he says whatever will mentally masturbate the masses. Its all a con job.

[T-Man007]

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they do suck. Ya, Hillary might concede, but it wont come without her making a fool of herself by saying something outrageously stupid...LOL...she never fails to act like an idiot. Obama is nothing but a slick, private high school grad, elitist, politician. Professional deceiver. he says whatever will mentally masturbate the masses. Its all a con job.

I could not have said it any better!

[FUZO]

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The day after I have gotten that last delegate needed to officially claim the nomination, I'll start thinking about vice presidential nominees," he said. "It's a very important decision, and it's one where I'm going to have to take some time."

THERS NO ONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP OBAMA AND THATS INCLUDING HILLARY. SHE WILL NOT BE HIS VP. SHE CANT STAND HIM AND HAS MADE REMARKS ABOUT HIM AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS,WONT HAPPEN IMO

[daved150]

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THERS NO ONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP OBAMA AND THATS INCLUDING HILLARY. SHE WILL NOT BE HIS VP. SHE CANT STAND HIM AND HAS MADE REMARKS ABOUT HIM AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS,WONT HAPPEN IMO

as long as it aint fukin t-man, i could care less!!!!....fuk that

[Klash]

TweetWhat would be my fantasy is if Hillary dropped her Democrat designation and ran as an Independent; she would defeat Obama.

[Dzone]

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What would be my fantasy is if Hillary dropped her Democrat designation and ran as an Independent; she would defeat Obama.

Haha, maybe she should. she is too fanantical and ignorrant to quit right now. I just cant see her conceding this race till the very end. the next thing she and Bill will do is cry VOTER FRAUD and demand a do- over.

[FUZO]

TweetITS ONLY GOING TO HURT THE DEMS IF SHE WANTS TO BE OBAMAS VP

[Dzone]

Tweetdid anybody hear that Grand wizard of the KKK talking about Obama? damm that was some creepy shyt

[Klash]

TweetMCCAIN SPEECH TONIGHT: THE GENERAL ELECTION BEGINS
Tue Jun 03 2008 17:04:27 ET

John McCain will launch his general election campaign against Barack Obama tonight at 9:00 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In a speech that will praise Senator Clinton for her "tenacity and courage," McCain will recognize Obama as the Democratic party's presumptive nominee.

EXCERPT:

You will hear from my opponent’s campaign in every speech, every interview, every press release that I’m running for President Bush’s third term. You will hear every policy of the President described as the Bush-McCain policy. Why does Senator Obama believe it’s so important to repeat that idea over and over again? Because he knows it’s very difficult to get Americans to believe something they know is false. So he tries to drum it into your minds by constantly repeating it rather than debate honestly the very different directions he and I would take the country. But the American people didn’t get to know me yesterday, as they are just getting to know Senator Obama. They know I have a long record of bipartisan problem solving. They’ve seen me put our country before any President -- before any party -- before any special interest -- before my own interest. They might think me an imperfect servant of our country, which I surely am. But I am her servant first, last and always. ….

I disagreed strongly with the Bush administration’s mismanagement of the war in Iraq. I called for the change in strategy that is now, at last, succeeding where the previous strategy had failed miserably. I was criticized for doing so by Republicans. I was criticized by Democrats. I was criticized by the press. But I don’t answer to them. I answer to you. And I would be ashamed to admit I knew what had to be done in Iraq to spare us from a defeat that would endanger us for years, but I kept quiet because it was too politically hard for me to do. No ambition is more important to me than the security of the country I have defended all my adult life.

Senator Obama opposed the new strategy, and, after promising not to, voted to deny funds to the soldiers who have done a brilliant and brave job of carrying it out. Yet in the last year we have seen the success of that plan as violence has fallen to a four year low; Sunni insurgents have joined us in the fight against al Qaeda; the Iraqi Army has taken the lead in places once lost to Sunni and Shia extremists; and the Iraqi Government has begun to make progress toward political reconciliation.

None of this progress would have happened had we not changed course over a year ago. And all of this progress would be lost if Senator Obama had his way and began to withdraw our forces from Iraq without concern for conditions on the ground and the advice of commanders in the field. Americans ought to be concerned about the judgment of a presidential candidate who says he’s ready to talk, in person and without conditions, with tyrants from Havana to Pyongyang, but hasn’t traveled to Iraq to meet with General Petraeus, and see for himself the progress he threatens to reverse.

[Klash]

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did anybody hear that Grand wizard of the KKK talking about Obama? damm that was some creepy shyt

Oh shyt...No I didn't hear that.

[daved150]

Tweet

did anybody hear that Grand wizard of the KKK talking about Obama? damm that was some creepy shyt

nope....copy paste. (you dont get the official news letter every month or some shyt do ya bro???)

[Dzone]

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nope....copy paste. (you dont get the official news letter every month or some shyt do ya bro???)

LOL...naw my membership expired...lol...no, i just heard him talking on the radio..they asked him what he thought of obama..He said 'Im not even worried about obama at all. someone from the south is going to shoot him"...I shyt you not, he said that. it was creeepy man.

[Dzone]

TweetHere it is....check this out. this phucker is crazy as shyt...phuckin scary