Clinton Sets Exit, Puts Pressure On Obama

On the heels of a tete-a-tete with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton has set the time and place for her formal exit from the Democratic primary race.

The New York senator plans to drop out of the race at noon Saturday, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.. The announcement came Friday after some initial confusion over when and where Clinton would concede.

With the details in place, party leaders hope the rally — where Clinton plans to endorse Obama — will serve as an effective call for party unity.

The two Democrats apparently began mending fences when they met in private Thursday night.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a major Clinton supporter who hosted the meeting at her Washington, D.C., home, said the two emerged from the hour-long session “laughing.”

Most of what Obama and Clinton talked about stayed secret in the hours after their meeting, and only a short, cryptic campaign message gave any hint of what happened behind closed doors.

“Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November,” their campaigns said in a joint statement released late in the evening.

But Clinton supporters swiftly kicked up speculation that she’s being considered as Obama’s running mate, just hours after the campaign declared she’s not seeking the No. 2 spot.

Feinstein was promoting the “dream ticket” concept this morning.

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