JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania (AFP) — Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama rejected calls for rival Hillary Clinton to get out of the race Saturday, as her camp insisted the contest was still wide open.
Party chief Howard Dean this week warned both sides to unify soon to avoid handing November's presidential election to the Republicans, and a top Obama backer, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, called openly for Clinton to quit.
But campaigning in Pennsylvania, a Clinton stronghold where the party's next nominating contest takes place on April 22, Obama told reporters in Johnstown: "My attitude is that Senator Clinton can run as long as she wants.
"Her name's on the ballot, and she is a fierce and formidable competitor, and she obviously believes that she would make the best nominee and the best president," said the Illinois senator, who has a slim lead over Clinton.
"She should be able to compete, and her supporters should be able to support her for as long as they are willing or able."
Clinton herself told a rally in Indianapolis, Indiana, Saturday that she had no intention of giving up before the nominating contests were over.
"I thought we (Americans), of all people, knew how important it was to give everyone a chance, to have their voices heard, and their votes counted, and we're going to give Indiana that chance" in its May 6 primary, she said.
"Because you see, I have this old-fashioned idea that the more people get a chance to vote, the better it is for our democracy."
Obama stressed that when all the nominating contests were completed in early June, it was vital the Democratic party pick a nominee, to give them time to choose a running mate and prepare for the general election campaign.
"I think the party's going to come together," he added.
Neither Clinton nor Obama can win 2,025 delegates necessary to wrap up the party's nomination, leaving the decision up to the superdelegates, party grandees who can vote for who they want at the national convention in August.
Leahy said Friday there was "no way" Clinton could win enough delegates and urged her to back Obama, who leads in the number of pledged delegates, nominating contest victories and the national popular vote.
But in a fund-raising email to supporters Saturday, former president Bill Clinton insisted the race to decide who will fight presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November's presidential election was far from over.
"It's neck-and-neck. Only 130 delegates separate Hillary from Senator Obama -- and that's not counting Florida and Michigan," whose primaries were voided after they broke party rules, he wrote.
The difference in the popular vote was less than one percent, he said, and millions of voters had yet to vote.
"With the race this close, it sure doesn't make sense to me that she'd leave now -- does it make sense to you?" he said.
Clinton needs a big win in Pennsylvania to boost her argument that only she can win big states that Democrats need to recapture the White House.
She is leading Obama by double digits in most polls here, but his aides believe he manages to increase his support by spending time in a state.
Accompanied by Bob Casey, Pennsylvania's only Democratic senator whose endorsement he won this week, Obama paid a lunchtime visit Saturday to a bar in Johnstown frequented by blue-collar workers playing pool and watching TV.
Taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves, Obama chatted informally with the clientele before leaving a large tip at the bar.
He later held a rally at Johnstown high school, where the 2,000 capacity auditorium was packed, tickets having been sold out since Friday.
Clinton held a similar rally there last week, attracting 1,500 people.
One of those in the crowd was hair salon owner David Jurcic, who compared Obama to former president John F. Kennedy. "America's going to be a much better place once he wins the presidency," he said.
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