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(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Lori Prichard reporting
Sen. Barack Obama sealed the Democratic presidential nomination, garnering enough delegates and superdelegates. But his Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, says she won't be announcing her next step just yet.
According to a conference-call today with New York lawmakers, Sen. Clinton will now try and use her leverage to garner the vice presidential spot on the Democratic ticket. In both candidates' speeches tonight, you could hear a decidedly different take on each other's campaigns.
Sen. Obama said, "Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton."
Sen. Clinton said, "It has been an honor to contest these primaries with him, just as it is an honor to call him my friend."
The head of Clinton's campaign here in Utah, Donald Dunn, says, as a friend, Clinton will fight to elect him. "She has absolutely committed that she will work her heart out for Barack Obama," he said.
Though Clinton's speech tonight in New York was conciliatory, it was no concession. "The message tonight isn't going to be shutting down the campaign," Dunn said.
And she didn't. Sen. Clinton said, "And in the coming days, I will be consulting with advisers and party leaders to determine how to move forward with the best interest of our party and my country guiding way."
The Clinton camp is now talking about the vice presidency, but Obama aides pushed aside talk of that today, saying they "don't have a long list or a short list," and it's way too early to be talking about it.
Tonight, Obama is certainly talking, saying, "I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States."
According to an Associated Press count, after tonight's final two primaries, Obama has at least 26 delegates more than he needs to lay claim to the Democratic nomination.
Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain acknowledged his new race with Obama by criticizing Obama's voting record, views on Iraq and lack of experience.
E-mail: lprichard@ksl.com
