Obama to Clinton: 'Keep on running'

Barack Obama refused to go along with other Democrats who are calling for Hillary Clinton to step away from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“My attitude is Senator Clinton can run as long as she wants,” Mr Obama said.

Obama told reporters he did not agree with one of his supporters, Senator Patrick Leahy, when he said earlier this week that Mrs Clinton cannot win the nomination and should therefore drop out.

“I hadn’t talked to Pat about it,” Mr Obama said.

At stops throughout the day, Mrs Clinton raised the question of whether she should leave the race – eliciting loud jeers from supporters.

“There are some people who say we should just stop these elections. ’Enough people have already voted, what’s a few million more?”’ Mrs Clinton said in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I don’t know about you but I’m glad Kentucky is going to be voting and you’ll be choosing because it’s such an important election.” The state holds its primary on May 20.

Campaigning in Pennsylvania, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, said party insiders looking to resolve the contest should step back and allow the process to move forward.

“We just need to relax and let this happen. Nobody’s talking about wrecking the party,” the former president said. “Everywhere I go, all these working people say: ’Don’t you dare let her drop out. Don’t listen to those people in Washington, they don’t represent us’.”