Barack Obama meets Hillary after clinching nomination

June 6, 2008

Democratic party presidential nominee Barack Obama has had an unannounced meeting with his defeated rival Hillary Clinton. The meeting held two days after Mr Obama effectively clinched the nomination for November’s US presidential election.

A spokesman for Mr Obama said the two former opponents met to talk about bringing their campaigns together and uniting the party.

Mrs Clinton has distanced herself from reports that she was hoping to stand as a vice-presidential running mate.

The last-minute meeting in Washington came after Mr Obama spent the day campaigning in the Republican stronghold of Virginia - a signal that he is now targeting voters who might be drawn to Republican presumptive nominee John McCain.

Mr Obama held large rallies in the state.

Intense pressure

The Illinois senator, under intense pressure from Clinton backers to choose her as his running mate, has announced a team to help him make his selection and said he will not be rushed.

Campaign aides said little about the meeting, which a Democratic source told ABC News was held at the Washington home of senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.

But reports say the two have put teams in place to handle communications between their respective camps in the coming days.

Senator Feinstein has said that a joint-ticket for the presidency would be a route to pulling together the pair’s diverse constituencies.

On Tuesday Mrs Clinton said she would be “open” to the idea of being Mr Obama’s running mate.

But a statement from the Clinton campaign on Thursday said: “While Senator Clinton has made clear throughout this process that she will do whatever she can to elect a Democrat to the White House, she is not seeking the vice presidency.”

It adds: “The choice here is Senator Obama’s and his alone.”