June 5, 2008

While Hillary Clinton plans to announce Saturday her support for Barack Obama’s candidacy, Democratic party leadership is growing increasingly frustrated with her timetable — rancor that could hurt her chances of salvaging the party’s No. 2.

Clinton raised the ire of several high-powered Democrats after she refused to concede and acknowledge Obama’s historic achievement Tuesday, when it became clear he had earned enough delegates to become the first black presidential nominee of a major party. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told FOX News that he “hopes” Clinton’s scheduled address Saturday, which would end her bid to become the first woman president, would be a “very positive statement of support.”

“It would be in her best interest,” he said, adding it would bring the party together. In an e-mail to supporters released late Wednesday, Clinton wrote, “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. … 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.”

Party leaders hope she does. Congressional lawmakers from Clinton’s home state of New York — who were some of her biggest backers — endorsed Obama as a group Thursday, signaling it’s time to close ranks behind the presumptive nominee. Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Congressional Black Caucus member, said a lot of Democratic lawmakers “are very disappointed that she did not acknowledge he had enough delegates to be the nominee. And we’re not even talking about congratulations.”