Hillary Clinton Exits White House Bid

Senator Hillary Clinton ended her presidential campaign on Saturday.

Hillary Clinton's endorsement of Barack Obama in a Washington speech was the first step in an effort to reunite the Democratic Party after a divisive five-month nominating battle. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and her daughter, Chelsea, stood with her during her exit speech.

"Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him," Clinton told about 2,000 cheering supporters at the National Building Museum in Washington.

"I endorse him and I throw my full support behind him," she said of Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton, a New York senator, had resisted calls to pull out of the race for months as Barack Obama built his lead that eventually earned him the Democratic nomination.

Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, will be named the Democratic nominee at the party's August nominating convention and will face Republican Sen. John McCain in November's election.

Obama will be the first black presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States.

The Illinois senator did not appear at the rally, giving Clinton the spotlight for the day. Clinton won 18 million votes during the Democratic nominating battle.

Clinton supporters have tried to pressure Obama into picking her, but her campaign issued a statement on Thursday saying she is not seeking the vice presidential position.

Obama has organized a new team to head his vice presidential search and has sworn off further discussion of the choice in the meantime.