Clinton to endorse Obama on Friday Saturday

ABC says Hillary Clinton will drop out on Friday and "ced[e] the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama."

I'll believe it when I see it.

UPDATE: For some reason it didn't auto-post, but CNN sent out a breaking-news alert at 7:10 PM stating: "Sen. Hillary Clinton will officially end her campaign for the presidency by the end of the week, multiple sources tell CNN."

UPDATE 2: This isn't just based on anonymous sourcing now. Here's the official statement from the campaign: "Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, DC on Friday to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity."

Politico's Ben Smith writes:

Clinton delivered something approaching a victory speech Tuesday night, just minutes after the media reported that Senator Barack Obama had clinched the nomination with a majority of the pledged delegates. But reality began to sink in Wednesday, as party leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, declared Obama "the nominee" and close supporters like Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel lost patience with her delays. ...

Clinton had convened a conference call with congressional supporters Wednesday to plead for time. Instead, a Clinton backer said, her supporters laid down the law: Time had run out, and she needed to leave the race this week.

More from NYT's Adam Nagourney:

Her decision came after a day of telephone conversations with supporters on Capitol Hill about what she should do now that Mr. Obama had claimed enough delegates to be able to clinch the nomination. Mrs. Clinton had initially said she wanted to wait before making any decision, but her aides said that in conversations, some of her closest supporters said it was urgent that she step aside. The news was first reported by ABCNEWS.com.

“We pledged to support her to the end,” said Representative Charles B. Rangel, a New York Democrat who has been a patron of Mrs. Clinton since she first ran for the Senate. “Our problem is not being able to determine when the hell the end is.”

UPDATE 3: The event has been pushed back to Saturday. It'll be competing for news coverage against the possible Big Brown Triple Crown.

Comments

[Mad Max, Esquire]

I guess it depends on which Hillary is speaking. The gracious "let's have a dialogue" one that thought she already had the election in the bag or the "quit picking on me because I'm a woman and a victim" one.

Good point Max. Speaking of women and victims I visited taylor marsh's site - damn those are some bitter, bitter bitches!

[Youngblai]

Reading this closely, I note 3 things:

1.) She's suspending her campaign, not ending it.

2.) She's waiting until Saturday, a slow newsday, for no good reason

3.) I'm still not getting the "thank you for nuking us twice, we will be happy to sign your documents now"-feeling from her. Instead I'm getting the, "We were stabbed in the back, but you just wait about 20 years and we're going to monkeystomp your wine-swilling a**es"-vibe.

Yeah, I think if I were Obama I'd avoid anything that might crash, explode, or otherwise have a "mishap" for the next 72 hours. Just sayin'.

[Joe Loy]

She will Suspend her campaign; graciously & congratulatorily Acknowledge Obama's victory; promise her full Support for his election without using the word "endorse"; and implicitly decline (via her Silence on the subject) to "release" her "pledged" delegates ~ thus signalling them that they all Ought (albeit they are not legally Bound) to vote for her on the Roll Call, for to flex the Movement's muscle: the cause goes on, the hope endures, the Dream shall never die.

Thus she will stand to get ~ not just 'several hundred', Brendan, but rather ~ some 1,600+ votes in Denver: being as how her Pledged delegates are, as per The Rules, well-vetted loyalists who will Follow Suggestions. Oh, some will quietly slip away, as will (perhaps more noisily :) Many of her unpledged Supers. But still the rollcall will roughly Reflect the fruits of Hillaryland's labors. She'll Want this. For the Record. (And, for the Future ;)

Then, as is meaninglessly Customary (not to mention, customarily Meaningless :), after the rollcall results are announced (and thus forever Recorded :) she will personally Move that the nomination of Barack Obama be "made unanimous." Seconded by Superdelegate Bubba, this motion will be "adopted" on a Voice vote with the many clearly-audible "NO"s unheard by the Chair.

:}

[Kudzu Fire]

It's all about Hilary. Never forget that and you too will live a long and happy life.