By GEOFF EARLE in DC and MAGGIE HABERMAN in NY
June 5, 2008
Hillary Rodham Clinton will end her bid for the White House Saturday, a decision that comes after a full-court press from her top allies, who said it's time to clear the field for Barack Obama to become the nominee.
Clinton's aides confirmed that she plans to announce she's abandoning her history-making presidential campaign during an appearance with supporters, where she'll endorse Obama.
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"Sen. Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, DC, to thank her supporters and express her support for Sen. Obama and party unity," spokesman Howard Wolfson said.
Clinton is still mulling whether to formally end her 17-month-long campaign, during which she became the first woman with a credible chance of getting to the White House, or declare her effort suspended.
Suspending the campaign means she would not be an active candidate, but would retain control over hundreds of convention delegates.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Obama would attend the announcement, or whether the two spoke last night.
But Obama, who was in Manhattan last night for two fund-raisers, said he hadn't had time to process her decision.
"Truth is, I haven't had time to think about it," he said. "This weekend, I'm going home, talk it over with [wife] Michelle and we're going on a date."
Several Clinton backers were caught off guard by her decision, revealed late in the day, which left her campaign racing to put together the Saturday event.
Throughout the day, she'd faced mounting pressure in private and public from allies to bow out - notably Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and New York Rep. Charles Rangel.
They criticized her defiant speech on Tuesday night, in which she declined to acknowledge that Obama had clinched the nomination.
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"Unless she has some good reasons - which I can't think of - I really think we ought to get on with endorsements" of Obama, Rangel told ABC News.
Rangel also spoke to Clinton by phone yesterday and made his feelings clear, sources said, describing his efforts as integral in her decision.
