Obama declares he is the Democratic nominee
ST. PAUL, Minn.---- Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night in a long-time-coming victory speech that minced no words about his opponent in the fall campaign, Republican John McCain.
In prepared remarks, Obama challenged McCain's claims of independence, noting he voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time last year.
''There are many words to describe John McCain's attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush's policies as bipartisan and new,'' Obama said. ''But change is not one of them.''
The Illinois senator also reached out to Hillary Rodham Clinton, his defeated rival, calling her ''a leader who inspires millions of Americans.''
''Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton,'' Obama was to say on the night of the final Democratic contests in South Dakota and Montana and after he earned enough delegates to win the nomination.
Reuniting a party divided by the marathon, 17-month battle between the two historic candidates -- a woman and a black man -- will be a top challenge for the Illinois senator moving into a general election race against Arizona Sen. McCain.
''After fifty-four, hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end,'' Obama said, recalling the day in February 2007 when he announced his candidacy at the Illinois Capitol and the millions who have voted since then.
''Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States,'' he said.
Obama planned to deliver the speech from Minnesota's Xcel Energy Center, the arena where McCain plans to accept his party's presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in September.