Blue Spot

Obama Moves to Next Phase as Clinton Douses Talk of Ticket - NYTimes.com

BRISTOL, Va. — Senator Barack Obama moved forcefully into the general election on Thursday, placing his stamp on the Democratic Party apparatus and holding a private nighttime meeting with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in an effort to unify Democrats.

A day after her campaign said she would end her quest for the presidential nomination, Mrs. Clinton disavowed an effort by her supporters to pressure Mr. Obama into choosing her as his running mate. She said that they were acting on their own and that the decision was “Senator Obama’s and his alone.”

The meeting between the two former rivals in Washington was initiated by Mrs. Clinton after Mr. Obama spent the day in Virginia, a state symbolic of his efforts to expand the Democratic reach.

The senators instructed their aides not to disclose details of the meeting. They issued an unusual joint statement late Thursday, saying, “Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November.”

Labels: Election 2008, Hillary, Obama