AP reports Obama effectively clinches Democratic nod

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:37:40 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic
presidential
nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention
delegates,
becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall
campaign
for the White House. The AP tally was based on public commitments from
delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also
included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he
lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana later in the
day.