Clinton, Obama looking beyond primaries

WASHINGTON, June 3 (UPI) -- Campaign advisers for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois are pushing uncommitted superdelegates to rally around him as the Democratic primaries wind down.

Montana and South Dakota contests Tuesday mark the end of the primary season and Obama advisers said they were coordinating the announcement of endorsements by at least eight congressional members as soon as the polls in South Dakota close, The New York Times said.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, will be in her home state of New York, where aides said she was preparing a speech outlining the case for her candidacy. Aides said she wasn't likely to withdraw from the race, but was considering what options were open, the Times said.

Factoring in results from Montana and South Dakota, Obama's advisers estimated he will need about 25 delegates to reach the 2,118 needed to win the nomination, the Times said. Obama was in St. Paul, Minn., poised to speak at the same convention center where Republicans will have their nominating convention.

Clinton's campaign recalled field staffers to New York for a rally. One adviser indicated she would suspend, not end her campaign by week's end, The Washington Post reported.