Obama clinches U.S. Democratic nomination, makes history

Source: Xinhua | 06-04-2008 13:28

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. senator Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, but his rival senator Hillary Clinton said she hasn't made decision about the future of her campaign.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama  (D-IL) and his wife Michelle prepare to board their plane at Chicago Midway Airport June 3, 2008, en route to his final primary night rally in St Paul.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Based on the latest tally of all U.S. media organizations, Obama now has passed the threshold of 2,118 national convention delegates needed to clinch this year's Democratic nomination, becoming the first African-American presidential nominee of a major U.S. party.

"Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States," Barack Obama said in a prepared speech to be delivered at a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America," he said.

Trying to unite the party as quick as possible, he praised his rival senator Hillary Clinton.

"Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton," Obama said.

"Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight," he said.

The event, held in the same site where Republicans will gather for their national convention this summer, also marked the beginning of Obama's general election campaign to take on his Republican opponent John McCain.

Speaking in New York, Clinton congratulated Obama for his campaign, but she did not concede the race nor discuss the possibility of running as vice president.

There were reports earlier in the day that she would concede, but her campaign said she was "absolutely not" prepared to do so.

"This has been a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight," she said.

Clinton said she would meet with supporters and party leaders in the coming days to determine her next steps.

She also asked people to go to her website to "share your thoughts with me and help in any way that you can."

Tuesday is the last day of this year's Democratic presidential primary season with contests being held in Montana and South Dakota.

There are 16 pledged delegates at stake in Montana and 15 in South Dakota.

Preliminary results show Obama won Montana and Clinton carried South Dakota, a result that has no impact on the outcome of the nomination race.

Editor:Xiong Qu