Clinton and Obama hold private meeting 06/06/2008 - 07:24:59
Hillary Clinton and presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama have met privately to talk about uniting the Democratic Party, an Obama spokesman said.
“Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November,” their campaigns said in joint statement.
The statement included no details of their talks, as pressure mounted for Mr Obama to invite Mrs Clinton to become his running mate for his forthcoming battle with Republican nominee-in-waiting, John McCain.
Robert Gibbs, an Obama spokesman, would not say where the former rivals met, except that it was not at Mrs Clinton’s home in Washington, as had been widely reported.
He also declined to comment on their topics of discussion, including the possibility of Mr Obama inviting Mrs Clinton to become his running mate.
Mrs Clinton’s campaign also was not commenting.
The meeting between the two Democrats came shortly after Mrs Clinton rejected efforts by supporters urging Mr Obama to choose her as his running mate, and promised to rally support for her one-time opponent in the general election.
Mr Obama said he will not be rushed into a decision on choosing a vice president.
Mrs Clinton supporters in Congress and elsewhere promoted a “dream ticket”, ramping up a campaign to pressure him to make her his number two.
Mrs Clinton was once seen as unbeatable for the Democratic nomination, but her hopes of becoming the first woman US president faded as Mr Obama chipped away at her early lead to become the first black presidential nominee from a major US party.
Mrs Clinton returned to Washington after the last primaries on Tuesday night, when Mr Obama earned the 2,118 delegates he needed to secure the nomination. She planned to announce tomorrow that she was ending her campaign and supporting Mr Obama.
After a divisive race marred by racism and sexism, Mrs Clinton starts her new role as an Obama booster with a lot of angry supporters. Their hard-fought battle sparked rifts that party leaders hope Mrs Clinton’s public show of support could help heal.
“I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama,” Mrs Clinton told supporters in an email. “The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.”
She is not lobbying for a spot on the ticket with Mr Obama, communication director Howard Wolfson said.
“She is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her,” Mr Wolfson said. “The choice here is Senator Obama’s and his alone.”
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Hillary Clinton and presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama have met privately to talk about uniting the Democratic Party, an Obama spokesman said.
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