Clinton meets Obama as she pushes to be named his No.2

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:

Barack Obama held a meeting Hillary Clinton in Washington late last night, it has been revealed.

A joint statement from the two camps said: 'Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November.'

The encounter was originally was believed to be at Clinton's Washington home, but sources later revealed the two met elsewhere in the city.

A pressure group urging Obama and select Clinton as his running mate last night welcomed the meeting. VoteBoth said: "We are thrilled to hear that Senators Obama and Clinton are meeting already.

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Partnership: Barack Obama Mrs Clinton during a TV debate earlier this year

"We hope that Thursday night's conversation is a step toward an Obama-Clinton ticket that will unify the party."

The meeting came after Clinton e-mailed her thanks to supporters and pledged to help Obama capture the White House after eight years of Republican control.

She said: "I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.

"This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator John McCain and the Republicans."

Mrs Clinton will underline that message at an event in Washington.

It has also been revealed that Mrs only plans to suspend her campaign rather than dropping out entirely. That means Clinton would technically remain a candidate and be entitled to keep statewide pledged delegates in the run-up to the party conference in August.

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He's number one: Barack Obama holds a hand-made walking stick he was given during a town hall meeting at Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia

Top Democrats from Mrs Clinton's home state of New York plan to endorse the Illinois senator, sources close to Obama said.

The New York Democratic congressional delegation embraced his candidacy yesterday.

On Friday, Democratic leaders in New York, including Governor David Paterson, state legislators and city council members, plan to endorse Mr Obama this afternoon.

Mr Obama earned enough delegates to clinch the nomination after the last two primaries on Tuesday, but Clinton did not concede defeat that night. Instead, she asked supporters to visit her Web site and give her advice on how to proceed.

Since then, her supporters have stepped up efforts to get her the vice presidential slot.

Billionaire Bob Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, said he plans to ask the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Mr Obama to offer his former opponent the vice presidential slot.

Congressman Charles Rangel insisted that putting Clinton on the ticket would help unify the party.

He said: "A lot of her supporters are still brokenhearted, but if we see that her candidacy is treated with respect and that we're going to have one ticket - the Obama/Clinton ticket - I think that would bring us together like no other political incentive.'

Caroline Kennedy and former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder have joined Mr Obama's vice presidential selection team led by former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson.

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