US elections blog: what will Hillary do next?

Hillary Clinton has confirmed that she will finally admit defeat and endorse Barack Obama on Saturday, at a farewell rally for supporters that marks the end of her presidential fight.

The announcement followed talks with colleagues in Washington, where she was told bluntly that it was now time for Democrats to unite around Mr Obama. Even close friends said they were worried that further efforts to use her army of voters as leverage in a possible deal for the vice-presidential slot would damage not only the party but also her own future.

The farewell event was originally scheduled for tomorrow but has already been moved to Saturday because of the numbers wishing to attend - another sign of the passion and commitment of those who have backed her through thick and thin.

Mrs Clinton announced the rally in an e-mail to supporters, whom she thanked for their "incredible dedication and sacrifice" over the past 16 months.

She added: "On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.

"I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise."

It is unclear whether Mrs Clinton will formally withdraw from the race or suspend her campaign. The second option, which she is said to have discussed at length with advisers, would allow her to maintain control over her convention delegates and continue to speak out on issues like universal health care - on which she has significant policy differences with Mr Obama. It would also mean she could carry on raising money to pay off her estimated $21 million debts.

On Tuesday night, as it became clear that Mr Obama has crossed the threshold of 2,118 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, she had refused to concede defeat. Instead, at a rally where supporters held signs suggesting they might vote for Republican John McCain if she was not the nominee, Mrs Clinton said she wanted her 18 million votes to be "respected".

Yesterday some of most prominent supporters suggested the defiance that has won wide admiration in recent months was beginning to resemble stubbornness.

“We pledged to support her to the end,” said Charles Rangel, a senior black Congressman from her home state of New York, “our problem is not being able to determine when the hell the end is.” Other big name backers, such as former vice president Walter Mondale, were unwilling to wait and announced they were already backing Mr Obama.

Mr Mondale urged her against making an unseemly pitch for the number two slot on the ticket, saying Mr Obama should be left alone to make his decision.

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