Clinton says she's throwing in the towel
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton decided it was time to quit the race and concede to her counterpart Barak Obama
In a series of television interviews in states holding upcoming contests, Clinton vowed to end her campaign and suggested Obama and his supporters to step aside in the running for the presidential nominee.
"My take on it is Senator Obama's campaign has turned out more successful than mine and he deserves the nomination," she told CBS affiliate KTVQ in Billings, Mont. "That's just what I believe. We want people to vote. I want the people of Montana to vote"
Montana holds its primary June 3. The New York senator made similar comments in interviews with stations in Indiana and North Carolina, which hold primaries May 6.
Obama led the overall race for the Democrat nomination with 1,631 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as super delegates. He got the backing of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Monday. Clinton had 1,501, according to the latest AP tally.
Clinton almost certainly would have ended the primary season trailing Obama in the popular vote and among pledged delegates unless the nullified primaries in Florida and Michigan were counted — an unlikely scenario at best. However, Obama unlikely to end the race with the 2,024 pledged delegates needed to win outright either, meaning the nominee would have been determined by roughly 800 super delegates.
Responding to Clinton, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "That is the best thing she could have done to help save the Democrat party from total destruction. We have encouraged our supporters to stay the course and Senator Obama was very clear he supports her decision."
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy last week became the first leading Democrat to openly call on Clinton to step aside and cede the nomination to Obama. He said he worried the prolonged nominating battle was strengthening the chances of the Republican nominee in waiting, John McCain.
Since then, Obama and his supporters have said Clinton should stay in the race as long as she chooses while indicating a lengthy primary battle would not help the party's position in the general election.
Obama has been picking up super delegates at a rapid clip while Clinton's success with that group had slowed considerably.
"I didn't even keep track of it" Clinton said when asked by Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA referring to how many super delegates had endorsed her in recent weeks.
As she spoke, her husband, former President Clinton, was coming home from Oregon after lobbying uncommitted super delegates
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton decided it was time to quit the race and concede to her counterpart Barak Obama
In a series of television interviews in states holding upcoming contests, Clinton vowed to end her campaign and suggested Obama and his supporters to step aside in the running for the presidential nominee.
"My take on it is Senator Obama's campaign has turned out more successful than mine and he deserves the nomination," she told CBS affiliate KTVQ in Billings, Mont. "That's just what I believe. We want people to vote. I want the people of Montana to vote"
Montana holds its primary June 3. The New York senator made similar comments in interviews with stations in Indiana and North Carolina, which hold primaries May 6.
Obama led the overall race for the Democrat nomination with 1,631 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as super delegates. He got the backing of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Monday. Clinton had 1,501, according to the latest AP tally.
Clinton almost certainly would have ended the primary season trailing Obama in the popular vote and among pledged delegates unless the nullified primaries in Florida and Michigan were counted — an unlikely scenario at best. However, Obama unlikely to end the race with the 2,024 pledged delegates needed to win outright either, meaning the nominee would have been determined by roughly 800 super delegates.
Responding to Clinton, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "That is the best thing she could have done to help save the Democrat party from total destruction. We have encouraged our supporters to stay the course and Senator Obama was very clear he supports her decision."
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy last week became the first leading Democrat to openly call on Clinton to step aside and cede the nomination to Obama. He said he worried the prolonged nominating battle was strengthening the chances of the Republican nominee in waiting, John McCain.
Since then, Obama and his supporters have said Clinton should stay in the race as long as she chooses while indicating a lengthy primary battle would not help the party's position in the general election.
Obama has been picking up super delegates at a rapid clip while Clinton's success with that group had slowed considerably.
"I didn't even keep track of it" Clinton said when asked by Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA referring to how many super delegates had endorsed her in recent weeks.
As she spoke, her husband, former President Clinton, was coming home from Oregon after lobbying uncommitted super delegates
