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4 Jun, 2008 07:26

Obama clinches Democratic nomination

Barack Obama has finally overcome Hillary Clinton to take the Democratic nomination for President. But he’ll need her help to overcome Republican nominee, John McCain, who is already laying into Obama’s record.

Projections show Obama has the necessary amount of delegates to secure a win after the primaries in Montana and South Dakota. The Democratic Party’s nominee will officially be chosen at the party’s convention in August.

Obama is the first African American to lead the Democratic Party.
 
Senator Hillary Clinton congratulated her rival for running an extraordinary race and says she is committed to uniting the party. Running as Vice President is reportedly something Clinton has said she is open to.

An Obama-Clinton duo could be unbeatable, but that's if both camps can put their hard feelings behind them.

Meanwhile, McCain has already attacked Obama for being too young and inexperienced to be the commander in chief. The Republican nominee has also criticised Obama for his willingness to meet with some of America's most dangerous foes – such as Iran and North Korea.

“We hear talk of a meeting with the Iranian leadership offered up as if it were some sudden inspiration, a bold new idea that somehow nobody has ever thought of before. Yet it's hard to see such a summit with President Ahmadinejad would actually gain, except an earful of anti-Semitic rants and a worldwide audience for a man who denies one holocaust and talks before frenzied crowds about starting another,” John McCain said.

The war in Iraq is expected to be one of the main issues in the general election.

Senator Obama favours a withdrawal of the U.S. troops.

“I want an end of a war that's costing America $US 10 billion a month and begin to use that money to invest in rebuilding our infrastructure,” he said.

McCain says Obama does not know what he is talking about. The Republican nominee has even offered to travel to Iraq with Obama to help him gain a better understanding of the war.

But McCain has his own weaknesses to worry about – his link to the Bush Administration, his lack of knowledge on the economy and his advanced age.

Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, told RT that regardless of the U.S. election outcome relations between the two countries will not change greatly.

“All three candidates understand the importance of co-operation with Russia. They do have different views on our internal affairs, but we are not expecting any critical change in U.S. policies towards Russia after the election in November. But we also do not expect our relations to become any closer or warmer because many in the U.S. view Russia as a tool to achieve their own goals,” Kosachev said.

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