Hillary won’t quit, eyes VP slot

Angling for a vice-presidential nod, Hillary Clinton refused to bow out of the Democratic race, hoping to maintain leverage as Barack Obama clinched the delegates needed to secure the party’s nomination.

“A lot of people are asking, ‘What does Hillary want?’” Hillary told supporters on Tuesday night at a rally in New York. “I want what I have always fought for: I want the nearly 18 million people who voted for me to be respected and heard.”

Hillary told the crowd she would consult in the coming days with advisers about the fate of her moribund candidacy. But her remarks came hours after she told congressional colleagues she would be open to joining Obama as his running mate.

Many of her top supporters spoke openly of Hillary’s potential vice-presidential prospects. Lanny Davis, a former White House special counsel under President Bill Clinton, said he told the former first lady on Tuesday that he was initiating a petition to press Obama to select her for the second spot on the ticket.

He said Hillary did not encourage or discourage the step. “If he doesn’t have her, I think he can still win. With her on the ticket, he can’t be beat,” Davis said.