Though his opponent Hillary Clinton persists on the campaign trail, Senator Barack Obama's return to Washington yesterday was received by an enthusiastic reception on the House floor at the Capitol. The appearance set the stage for the Illinois Senator to be perceived as the Democratic party's inevitable nominee.
According to the New York Times, Obama met with the party leadership behind the scenes, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Clinton and Pelosi have had no known recent talks.
In response to party concerns that Senator Clinton would continue her campaign until the national convention in late August, Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe reportedly suggested that the contest would end promptly after the final primaries early next month.
“After June 3, this is going to come to a conclusion,” Mr. McAuliffe said on NBC’s “Today” program. Other
Clinton allies have echoed this sentiment, including prominent former senator George McGovern.
“I think she should complete the primary season, and then she has to re-evaluate and her supporters have to re-evaluate,” said Clinton supporter Representative Nita M. Lowey of New York.
Obama held off on publicly declaring a victory for himself, instead congratulating Clinton as a "formidable candidate." In interview with CNN and NBC News the Illinois senator said that he was likely to lock up a majority of the pledged delegates after the Kentucky and Oregon primaries on May 20, and that at that point he could declare victory.
“Obviously, people have been anxious about some of the sense of division in the party, and I just wanted to assure them that whatever happens, we will be coming together,” Obama told reporters as he made his way through a crowd of cheering tourists in the Capitol Rotunda.
