Barack Obama

Hillary Clinton bows down, giving Obama her support!


WASHINGTON

Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her historic presidential race yesterday by endorsing her former rival Barack Obama and urging her 18 million primary voters to cast aside bitterness and sadness in the name of party unity.

Clinton's conciliatory ode to Obama was the speech Democrats had hoped to hear Tuesday night after he clinched the nomination. But her unqualified backing delighted Obama's campaign and might even be enough to bolster Clinton's fading chances of being named to the ticket(vice presidential), some observers said.


Watch the full Obama interview(www.watuhodari.com/tv-hodari)


While touting her triumph as the first major female presidential contender, Clinton acknowledged that she might have been hurt by "barriers and biases" against women.


"Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it," Clinton said to raucous applause.

Heeding the advice of Obama's supporters, Clinton focused on healing racial, gender, class and generational rifts that might drive her supporters to Republican John McCain.

"The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama," Clinton told the crowd gathered under soaring Corinthian columns in the National Building Museum.

Most in attendance cheered - but a handful of die-hards booed through cupped hands, as Clinton called upon them to shift allegiances abruptly.


"I don't think she held anything back. She said everything Barack Obama could have asked for," said Charlie Cook, founder of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "If I were him, I'd be very satisfied."