Clinton calls on supporters to back Obama

WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) -- Now that Hillary Clinton has left the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, the New York senator says she wants her supporters to back Barack Obama.

CNN reported Sunday that Clinton said she and supporters should "take our energy, our passion and our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama ... I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me."

Clinton has vowed to do whatever she can "to ensure that Democrats take the White House back and defeat (Republican) John McCain."

The best way for Obama to woo Clinton's 18 million voters is to put Clinton on the ticket as his vice presidential running mate, some Clinton supporters say.

"I've looked at every other possible candidate. No one brings to a ticket what Hillary brings," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

However, former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, has said an Obama-Clinton ticket would be "the worst mistake that could be made."

He told The Guardian newspaper in London that ticket would "accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates."