Obama gains superdelegates after trading wins with Clinton
The former first lady declined to say whether that meant through the roll call of the states at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
Clinton also disclosed that she had loaned her campaign an additional $6.4 million in recent weeks, evidence that her once front-runner campaign was in deep trouble.
She told reporters the loans were a sign of her commitment to her quest for the White House. She earlier loaned herself $5 million as she struggled to keep up with a better-financed Obama campaign.
Obama, now the front-runner, was home in Chicago during the day as his aides spread word that he would soon begin campaigning in states likely to be pivotal in the fall campaign. They also relayed word of the four endorsements, expected to be made public later in the day. Both disclosures were meant to signal fresh confidence that the nomination was quickly coming into his possession after a grueling marathon across 15 months and nearly all 50 states.
Clinton won the Indiana primary narrowly early Wednesday, but the overall impact of the night's two contests was to lengthen Obama's lead in national convention delegates without fundamentally altering the nature of the race. The results also prompted former Sen. George McGovern, a Clinton backer of several months, to urge her to drop out while endorsing her rival.
Obama has 1,840.5 delegates to 1,688 for Clinton in The Associated Press tally. It takes 2,025 delegates to win the nomination in Denver this summer.
Clinton told reporters it would take 2,209 or 2,210 delegates to win the nomination, not the 2,025 in use by the Democratic National Committee. The higher total would come into play if the delegations were seated from Michigan and Florida, two states that held primaries outside the time frame that party rules required.
The former first lady campaigned for months to have new votes in both states, although lately has said she merely wants the delegations seated.
Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, said on Tuesday night it was possible a compromise could be worked out to seat the Michigan delegates. He did not mention Florida.
Asked at her news conference whether she intended to remain in the race through the convention roll call, Clinton said, "I'm staying in this race until there's a nominee and obviously I am going to work as hard as I can to become that nominee."
Recent comments
Obama, Harvard Law School graduate and worker in the projects of...
russ | May 7, 2008 at 6:45 p.m.
following the herd.
no courage in the Democratic Party.
more sheep | May 7, 2008 at 1:22 p.m.
both are bad for this nation, could both drop please
nst | May 7, 2008 at 12:40 p.m.
