By GEOFF EARLE in DC and GINGER ADAMS OTIS in New York, AP
June 8, 2008
Hillary Rodham Clinton backed Barack Obama yesterday, declaring, "I endorse him and throw my full support behind him - and I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me."
NOONAN: SHE STILL THINKS IT'S ABOUT HER
She added that she had seen Obama's "strength and determination, and his grace and grit" over the course of their often bruising primary race.
She vowed to "work my heart out" for Obama.
"We cannot let this moment slip away," she urged in the 25-minute address.
Three times she repeated the refrain, "That is why we have to elect Barack Obama our president.
"We have come too far and accomplished too much" not to have a Democrat in the White House, she said.
Clinton stayed upbeat as she suspended her campaign, saying, "This isn't exactly the party I planned but I sure love the company."
She told her wildly cheering supporters that "life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been."
Clinton's 18-month effort to become the first female president came to a close with Bill Clinton, mom Dorothy Rodham and daughter Chelsea at her side.
She praised the historic contest for achieving "milestones essential to our progress as a nation," and got some of her biggest applause of the day when she said it would now be "unremarkable" if a woman won a primary or became president.
Referencing what she calls the "highest glass ceiling in the world," she said, "Thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it."
Clinton also acknowledged that another milestone had been reached - the first African-American to get the nomination.
Obama, in a statement from Chicago, said he was "thrilled and honored" to have Clinton's support.
"She shattered barriers on behalf of my daughters and women everywhere, who now know that there are no limits to their dreams," he said in a statement.
His campaign sent text messages and e-mails to supporters asking them to thank Clinton for her endorsement.
The scene of the concession - the National Building Museum in Washington - had special poignancy for Clinton, as the place where she and her husband danced at their inaugural balls in 1993 and 1997.
Thousands of supporters packed the balconies of the building alongside giant marbled columns and lined the streets outside as the campaign blasted affirming pop tunes by female divas.
Clinton began to signal the end was near after meeting privately with Obama Thursday night. She also held a conference call urging her top 50 fund-raisers to back him.
"He needs to know all of you. He really needs your help," Clinton said, according to a participating donor quoted in The Wall Street Journal yesterday.
As soon as Clinton wrapped up her speech, nearly 300 Democratic Party leaders and officials who had pledged their superdelegate support to her released statements that they now back Obama.
In deciding to "suspend" her campaign, Clinton kept some options open - she retains her delegates to the nominating convention and she can continue to raise money, but she gave no indication that was her intention.
Clinton returned to her Westchester home in Chappaqua last night for a few days of rest, aides said.
