OBAMA PRIVATELY TELLS DONORS THAT TIME IS COMING TO UNITE BEHIND HILLARY CLINTON

OBAMA PRIVATELY TELLS DONORS THAT TIME IS COMING TO UNITE BEHIND HILLARY CLINTON

Courtesy - MAGGIE HABERMAN and MICHAEL D. SHEAR- NEW YORK TIMES

In unusually candid remarks, President Obama privately told a group of Democratic donors last Friday that Senator Bernie Sanders is nearing the point where his campaign against Hillary Clinton will come to an end, and that the party must soon come together to back her.

Mr. Obama addressed the group four nights before Tuesday’s nominating contests, in which Mrs. Clinton was heavily favored. As it happened, Mrs. Clinton won at least four of the five states that voted — Missouri has yet to be called — further padding her lead in the race for delegates.

Mr. Obama went on to lavish praise on Mrs. Clinton, describing her as smart, tough and experienced, and said that she would continue the work of his administration. Mr. Sanders has very publicly criticized Mr. Obama on certain policies and has called for a “political revolution.”

Mr. Obama said that he understood the appeal to voters of a candidate who is authentic, the official said.

HILLARY CLINTON MAKES IMPASSIONED PLEA IN SOUTH CAROLINA

HILLARY CLINTON MAKES IMPASSIONED PLEA IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Courtesy: Andrew Buncombe- www.independent.uk

Hillary Clinton has delivered an impassioned appeal to South Carolina’s African American community - her final appearance in the state before Saturday’s primary.

With polls showing her as many as 30 points ahead of Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, Ms Clinton may have decided to have skipped events such as the one at the Royal Baptist Church in North Charleston. Rather, she used the opportunity to underscore her claim to be the natural choice for black voters and vowed she would deliver on healthcare, education and jobs.

She also talked about the need for reform of the police, and the criminal justice system, and said too many people were the needless victims of gun violence. 

Data suggests that black women will make up the largest single voting bloc on Saturday. “The other night I met with five women who have lost their sons - some to police shooting, others to senseless gun violence,” she said. She added: “I can’t say that I will be able to do everything but it’s worth trying to do something. On average, ninety people a day are dying from gun violence.”

It’s incredibly humbling. These woman have experienced probably the worst tragedy any mother can. The loss of a child, however it happens, is an extraordinary blow,” she said. “The way it happens to these women makes it much harder.

Hillary added: “I came away so overwhelmed by their courage and their determination to turn their mourning into a strategy. I am glad to have their endorsement. But I am also endorsing them.”