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Obama, Clinton meet-and-greet on Senate floor

BY KRISTEN DAUM | kristen.daum@newsday.com

1:41 PM EDT, May 13, 2008

WASHINGTON - The fight for the Democratic nomination made a detour to the Senate floor Tuesday as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama briefly returned to Washington, ahead of what Clinton advisers expected would be a big West Virginia victory they hoped would sow doubts about Obama's electablity.

Obama, drawing ever closer to having the nomination locked up, tried to look past Clinton to the fall election -- planning a stop in a key general-election battleground state Missouri Tuesday night as he turned his focus to Republican John McCain.

Clinton kept her focus on West Virginia, where polls show her with a commanding lead. "I think Democrats across the country tomorrow will be asking themselves why Senator Obama -- with all of his money, with all of the great press, with voters being told he was the inevitable nominee -- why did Senator Obama lose West Virginia by 15 points or so?" Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson told NBC's "Today" show.

But party leaders continued to coalesce around Obama Tuesday, as four more superdelegates -- former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Rep. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and the District of Columbia Democratic party chair Anita Bonds -- endorsed the Illinois senator.

"This race, I believe, is over," said Romer, a former Democratic National Committee chairman.

First, however, the two contenders had to put in some time at their day jobs, casting votes on a flood insurance bill as they made a rare joint appearance in the Senate.

During the vote, Obama cruised the Senate floor -- smiling, shaking hands and sharing laughs with nearly 20 senators. Meanwhile Clinton generally kept to a far corner, talking only with some of her most loyal supporters, like California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Clinton and fellow New York Sen. Charles Schumer greeted one another with a jovial fist-bump.

After nearly 15 minutes, Obama concluded his votes and approached Clinton from across the room -- interrupting Clinton's conversation with Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) to get her attention for a quick hello. Salazar smiled, grabbed both Obama and Clinton by the shoulders and laughingly drew them close for a three-person hug.

The Democratic rivals seemed to exchange pleasantries, and then with a final squeeze of Clinton's arm, Obama exited the floor.

Clinton's and Obama's visit to Washington today took place while voters in West Virginia cast their ballots in the Democratic primary there today. Obama leads Clinton by 172 delegates in the race for the Democratic nomination, with 28 West Virginia delegate votes to be decided in today's election.

The Associated Press contributed.