by Mark Silva
It's time to "pivot,'' Sen. Barack Obama says.
That means, on the long court of this campaign, quickly turning from the battle that has consumed a divided Democratic Party for five months and facing the fight of the coming five months.
And Obama, the senator from Illinois ready to claim his party's presidential nomination, says the conclusion of the party's primaries today should signal that turn.
"Once the last votes are cast, then it's in everybody's interest to resolve this quickly so we can pivot,'' Obama said in an interview Monday with the Associated Press. "We're less than three months away from our convention. So we've got a lot of work to do in terms of bringing the party together.''
That work could start this week, as Obama turns to the party superdelegates with the power to deliver him the delegates needed for nomination.
Obama maintains that a lot of superdelegates, privately supporting him, have waiting, in respect of the process, and endorsed no one until the primaries ended.
Neither Obama nor his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, will spend the final election night of the primary season in the states casting the final votes - South Dakota and Montana.
Obama heads for St. Paul, Minnesota, site of the Republican National Convention in August, to make a stand as the candidate ready to contest Michigan with the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
And Clinton heads for her home in New York, for close counsel with family and advisers. In the closing days of her campaign, husband Bill Clinton found himself fending off a critical article about him in Vanity Fair.
The Huffington Post's Mayfill Fowler reports that the former president had nothing kind to say about the author of the article, Todd Purdhum, who wrote of Clinton's jet-setting with millionaires since his retirement from the White House.
Clinton, calling the author "sleazy'' and "dishonest,'' insists there are "just five or six blatant lies in there.'' Reminded that Purdum is married to the former president's former secretary Dee Dee Myers, Clinton told the HuffPost's reporter: "That's all right -- he's still a scumbag."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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Comments
That's right. It was fierce battle.
But it has to end oneday. Now it is McCain v/s Democratic candidate. Where is the time for the main battle-line? Do it today Democrats,else,leave it to Republicans
Posted by: Raj Subramanian | June 3, 2008 6:45 AM
DNC STEALS VOTERS VOICES!!!
TAKES DELEGATES FROM CLINTION AND GAVE THEM TO OBAMA!!!!
DNC Committee awarded to Senator Obama not only the delegates won by Uncommitted, but also delegates won by Senator Clinton. This decision violates the bedrock principles of our democracy and our Party.
SUPPORTERS URGE SENATOR CLINTON TO RUN AS INDEPENDENT
In general is Obama has used Poor Judgment REPEATEDLY! Obama proved Rev Wright was correct!!! politically correct, that is. The fact that it is "painful" and took 20 years suggests he agrees with these racists "under the covers". He resigned not necessarily because he wants to but because it is the only course open to him. Imagine if the roles were reversed and John McCain had attended a white separatist church for twenty years. Would his resignation after two decades cure the concern that he had lived some sort of weird double life, cavorting with racists but talking about equal opportunity in his public life? he’d have been forced out of the presidential race by now. So the question remains: was Obama the least observant church congegrant on the planet (racism and anti-Semitism at Trinity? No!) or a hypocrite.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT OBAMAS POLITICAL DAMAGE APOLOGY!!!
SHOCKING Obama words: what he really thinks of white folks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI77cU3jsFs
http://www.dontvoteobama.net
An Obama Presidency Will Set Race Relations Back Decades
Posted by: Jim | June 3, 2008 6:47 AM
Yeah, time to work to bring the party together, so you can all stand in a tight little group and wave "bye-bye" to the voters who are going to turn away in disgust, and vote for mcCain or Nader or just stay home.
But be of good cheer, Democrats... you still have your party and even tho it has been irrelevant for decades, it does stand for keeping politicians employed.
Posted by: MJ | June 3, 2008 8:15 AM
DNC STEALS VOTERS VOICES!!!
Posted by: Jim | June 3, 2008 6:47 AM
HILLARY SUPPORTERS DECIDE WHAT VOTERS VOICE REALLY IS!!!!
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | June 3, 2008 8:23 AM
After months of having all matter of smarmy dysfunctional friends and associates B Hussein Obama uses the word pivot.
This is just a dramatic amount of BS from the likes of David Axelrod going to Minnesota to take on the GOP.
After Rev Wright, Tony Rezko by the way the verdict might come today watch out Barry,Father Pfleger and a parade of weirdos now Obama demands to be nominated pushing the woman out!
He is an untested guy with a thin resume and no credentials other than being a law instructor and maturing in the South Side of Chicago a Daley toady.He was invented by Dickie Durbin and Emil Jones.Only in crooked Illinois politics could someone so untested be given a wink and nod for the biggest job on earth.
Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | June 3, 2008 9:21 AM
The Xcel Energy Center may be dripping in symbolism as the site of the Republican Convention, but it is also dripping in irony, because the name is so confusingly similar to Excelon Energy, the energy company for whose benefit Obama caved on legislation he had introduced to protect the public with mandatory notification of any radiation leaks, then subsequently accepted $100s of thousands in campaign contributions. Finally, just revealed this last week, Obama campaign manager David Axelrod was hired as a clandestine lobbyist to coordinate Excelon's fake citizens' organization calling for reduced restrictions.
It's a bold move in its brazeness, almost tempting voters to make the connection to one of the biggest hypocrisies of the Obama campaign. Axelrod is thumbing his nose and gatting his final laugh, knowing that the public won't make the connection.
It would be as if John McCain claimed his nomination under a banner proclaiming, "Mission Accomplished."
Posted by: ElliotNC | June 3, 2008 9:23 AM
Jim,
Is it really "An Obama Presidency Will Set Race Relations Back Decades"? Certainly not with anything he has actually said or written. It seems more like you are trying your hardest to personally acheive that by yourself. It is hard to see how your comments help Clinton or the public. Maybe you are really a Republican trying to stir up trouble? Backing Clinton for personal gain? What really is your aim in spewing distortion?
Posted by: PJ Hansen | June 3, 2008 9:42 AM
Democrats... you still have your party and even tho it has been irrelevant for decades, it does stand for keeping politicians employed.
Posted by: MJ | June 3, 2008 8:15 AM
What a putz! This is Mr. independent. When republican senators say that if republican was a brand of dog food, it would sit on the shelf, out comes Mr. independent to make his "unbiased" opinion. You've done a heck of a job "MJ".
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | June 3, 2008 10:06 AM
An Obama Presidency Will Set Race Relations Back Decades
Posted by: Jim | June 3, 2008 6:47 AM
Jim is bringing the crazy today!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzCpXDSXQXY
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | June 3, 2008 12:12 PM
An Obama Presidency Will Set Race Relations Back Decades
Posted by: Jim | June 3, 2008 6:47 AM
Yes Jim...nothing like giving the nomination to a white woman who is behind in delegates to help with race relations.....Jeez where do they get these guys?
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | June 3, 2008 12:37 PM
Form the brilliant "mind" of billr -- "When republican senators say that if republican was a brand of dog food, it would sit on the shelf, out comes Mr. independent to make his "unbiased" opinion."
Huh?!
Not a single word makes sense here. Jeez, where do they get these guys?
Posted by: MJ | June 3, 2008 4:54 PM