Return to Transcripts main page

Campbell Brown

Hillary Clinton to Suspend Campaign; John McCain Challenges Obama to a Debate; Barack Obama's Historic Win Will Inspire Others

Aired June 04, 2008 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone.
We start with breaking news tonight. Hillary Clinton is finally going to make it official. And new details are coming in as we speak -- multiple sources right now telling CNN that the senator is expected to suspend her presidential campaign by the end of the week. A top Clinton fund-raiser tells CNN her withdrawal is expected to happen on Friday. But she is unlikely to go quietly.

Senator Clinton has made it pretty clear now that she has got 18 million votes in her back pocket. And even as presumptive nominee Barack Obama celebrates here in New York with a Park Avenue fund- raiser, everybody is asking the question, what is her next move?

Well, tonight, she's hosting an 89th birthday party for her mother down in Washington, D.C. And while the Clinton family sings happy birthday, Washington insiders are buzzing over what her plans are, what her chances may be of getting the vice presidential nod, whether she really wants it.

Barack Obama of course hasn't named any names yet. But, today, he did name his vice presidential selection team, which includes Caroline Kennedy.

As I said before, there is a lot of news breaking as we speak. So, we what to go right now to CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, who's joining me here with the very latest.

Candy, what do you know?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, as you said, she is going to suspend her campaign, which means she will hold on to her delegates.

BROWN: Right, a technicality, but an important point.

CROWLEY: An important technicality, because with those delegates, and, as we know, she has more delegates for a person who loses than any other one in history. This is a very close race.

There's power in those delegates. There is power in the nearly 18 million people who have voted for her. So of course the key question is, what is she going to do with that power? She's going to have a meeting at some point with Barack Obama. I was told that may be this week as well, but haven't really pinned down that completely. She has said basically goodbye to her staff. She's talking to longtime supporters, talked to some people up on Capitol Hill. So, it's winding down. But she clearly -- you know Hillary Clinton. This is a woman who goes from -- is fairly linear. You do this, you do this, you do this. So, she's slowly winding this down to Friday, when she will suspend that campaign.

BROWN: A step-by-step process.

She got a lot of heat for the speech she gave last night. And you have been reporting that that took a lot of people by surprise in her campaign. What was going on?

CROWLEY: What's interesting is that today, what I find is that people are saying, when was the last time that you saw somebody who was going to lose and it became clear from the election results that, that night, quit?

And it is true. You look at Howard Dean. And you look even at John Edwards in this cycle. He went home for a weekend. He thought it -- they said, look, it takes time to process this sort of thing. And believe it or not, they really feel in the campaign that that wasn't where her head was. It wasn't where her head was when she was in South Dakota or where she was campaigning in Montana.

So, they look at this as sort of a multi-step task. They say it can't end with a single speech, because she's got those people out there and they say she sincerely wants them to come to the Obama side. But they say there's an emotional attachment there that they think she has to use in order to sort of move -- begin to move them over.

BROWN: Candy, she addressed herself very directly the million- dollar question last night in her speech. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand that a lot of people are asking, "What does Hillary want? What does she want?"

I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard, and no longer to be invisible.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, what does Hillary Clinton want, Candy?

CROWLEY: Well, one of things I have also found really interesting about this campaign is you can pretty much tell what Hillary Clinton wants when you listen to her.

And they do say she's really passionate about the issues, particularly health care. Look, the vice presidency. The feeling inside the campaign has been, listen, we don't think she would turn it down if it were offered to her. But they think it's been a little overplayed.

This is not on her list, I am told. Nonetheless, again, she would take it. What about the money? She's in debt. People look around and say, yes, but she and Bill Clinton could have a fund-raiser and pretty much get rid of it. But Barack Obama could help her out on that.

(CROSSTALK)

CROWLEY: Does she want a Cabinet post? This is not the sort of thing that you ask for in a meeting like this.

So, essentially, it may revolve around the issues she thinks are important and she wants input. Remember John Edwards had them both down there and said, want my support? Poverty. That's really important to me.

So, there will be something like that. But there are other issues out there. Obviously, there is the money. There is the presidency. What role is Hillary Clinton going to play? She's a national party figure. She has -- almost half the voters voted for her. So they think there's a role in there. But they know that there has to be some back and forth, because what does he want her to do and what does she want to do and where do they meet?

BROWN: I have got to ask you this, because you have been with her, probably as long as anybody. And deal with a little bit the emotional component to this. How she addressed that herself sort of -- has she internalized the fact that it's over and dealt with it emotionally?

CROWLEY: I can tell you that probably no one knows the answer to that specific question. Has she processed it internally?

Because this isn't a woman given to, here's how I'm feeling. Here are the negative emotions I'm going through.

But the fact of the matter is, 17 months, so many ups and downs, something she's been looking at for not 17 months, but several years. This is always an emotional thing. I'm sure you talk to people after they have lost an election. I remember Bob Dole famously saying, I slept like a baby last night, on the night he lost. He said, I woke up every two hours and cried.

(LAUGHTER)

CROWLEY: So, there's a lot to be said for that.

And she also felt, honestly, a very personal connection to a lot of these voters, who just sort of came up and grabbed her hand and said, I have got this or my health care or my this.

So, you can't help but get involved emotionally in the campaign. And then you got to let it go. And that doesn't happen like that. It will take months, because it has for everybody else.

BROWN: All right, Candy Crowley for us tonight -- Candy, thanks.

I know you're sticking around. We will have more with Candy a little bit later.

With tonight's breaking news, it looks the nomination is in fact settled. Probably last night, it looked like the nomination was settled.

But just this morning, Senator Clinton's campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe, sounded crystal clear that she was still in it to win it. This is what he told our John Roberts earlier today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY MCAULIFFE, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: This was the end of, you know, a long process for all of us. It was her night. We were here in New York. Celebration. People came in from all over the country.

JOHN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Wait a minute, wasn't it his night? He became the nominee.

MCAULIFFE: For Hillary, I mean, she came back to thank everybody. You cannot disregard that she got 18 million votes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, that was this morning. But, of course, the breaking news. We have been reporting now that she will suspend her campaign by Friday.

What's next?

Well, here to talk about all that, our panel of Washington insiders.

We have got Tara Wall, who is down in Washington for us, deputy editorial page editor of "The Washington Times" and former director of outreach communications for the Republican National Committee. With me here, CNN senior political analyst Jeffrey Toobin, Lisa Caputo, senior campaign adviser to the Clinton campaign, as well as president -- or no, I'm sorry.

Lisa is telling me no, that's not right.

Give me the correct title.

LISA CAPUTO, CLINTON CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Senior adviser to the Clinton campaign.

BROWN: Senior adviser to the Clinton campaign, as well as president and CEO -- not anymore -- of...

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: OK. We will work on that. Thanks.

(CROSSTALK)

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: ... promoted.

BROWN: Yes. I just gave you a huge promotion.

And CNN's Tom Foreman.

(CROSSTALK)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... anybody about anything.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: I know.

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: ... like me.

BROWN: OK, Jeff, let me start with you.

OK. You said something last night I have got to ask you about. This is after we heard Hillary Clinton's campaign speech. And you described the Clintons' deranged narcissism. Here we are...

TOOBIN: You know why I did that? Because I don't get enough e- mail.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

TOOBIN: That problem went away.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Did it really?

TOOBIN: That problem went away in such a big way.

Yes, I thought that speech was really bad. I thought her speech was ungracious. It was inappropriate. It was ill-timed. And that's what I thought about it. I think she is moving to correct that problem now. I think, if she gives a gracious speech on Friday, the one on last week will be -- on Tuesday will be largely forgotten. But I thought it was a bad speech.

BROWN: But did you hear the point that was Candy was making was that what the campaign is saying is, hey, look at how John Edwards took his time after it was over for him? Like, doesn't she have the right to take a moment and catch her breath and...

TOOBIN: Of course.

And much of that speech would have been fully appropriate. But to start talking about the states that you won, to ask for people to write you and tell you what to do, to be in campaign mode, not even to mention that -- John McCain. It was all about Hillary vs. Obama, a campaign that was over by the time she gave that speech. I thought it was inappropriate.

BROWN: And, Lisa, it had been over for a while. It's not like she had the shock of last night. Any realist would acknowledge that.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: Let me respond.

A couple of things. First of all, 18 million voters voted for her, OK? So, there's a party here of voters that are split between Obama and Clinton. She's going to do the right thing. She will suspend her candidacy. She will work her heart out for Barack Obama. There's no question about that.

But let's remember, there are 18 million people who are die-hard loyalists to her. She's got to be responsible and do the right thing by those supporters and bring them slowly and gently over to Senator Obama.

She can't -- it would be irresponsible of her to go out last night and say, OK, flip a switch. Everybody move to Obama. That's not the way she operates. It's not what her supporters wanted her to do.

And, yes, you have today people initiating petitions, other people going about, demanding she be on the ticket. They're not sanctioned by the campaign. They're off doing their thing. She will do the right thing at the end of the day.

BROWN: Let me interrupt just for a second, because we are just getting word now that CNN's John Roberts is reporting that Hillary Clinton will host an event down in Washington, D.C., on Friday. This is to thank her supporters and to express her support for Senator Obama and for party unity.

My only question, Lisa, would be, and I think a lot of people is, why wasn't there more of that last night? Why is she waiting until Friday?

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: Campbell, let's put this in a historical context, OK?

We have seen unprecedented voter turnout with the Democrats in this presidential cycle. If you look back at Bill Bradley, he suspended his candidacy in March and didn't endorse Al Gore until July. Gary Hart took it to the convention with an endorsement. Jesse Jackson took it to the convention with an endorsement. Ted Kennedy went all the way to the convention with Jimmy Carter, and, by the way, let's remind everybody, didn't shake Jimmy Carter's hand at the convention. So, why is there all this different standard for Hillary Clinton? Everybody should just take a breath. She is going to do the right thing. It's not like she's waiting months and months. And it will be what it will be on Friday.

TOOBIN: I just think, those examples, while true, are largely believed to be negative examples. Ted Kennedy is widely believed to have hurt the Democratic Party tremendously in 1980. So, the fact that -- I don't think that's a positive example, that...

CAPUTO: But she's not going to take it to the convention.

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: No, she's not.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: One other thing. Last night, when Barack Obama hit the magic number, she won a primary. This is a close race. He hit the magic number. It is about the delegates, yes.

But, at the end of the day, when you look at the popular vote, it's not a landslide for Barack Obama. So, you have got to be responsible as the candidate to lead the horses to water to do the right thing.

FOREMAN: But can't you should argue at the same time, as so many of the supporters out there of Obama and other Democrats have said, all the more reason for a candidate to be very gracious and very careful about doing more damage, because the party is divided right now?

CAPUTO: I think she was very gracious this morning, if I may say, at the AIPAC event, where she got up and stood up for Barack Obama and where he was on issues related to Israel and for the Jewish people.

BROWN: Right.

CAPUTO: And that I think is one big first step to doing the right thing.

BROWN: OK.

TOOBIN: She sounded very different today than she did yesterday. I think that's a big point.

BROWN: I agree with that. But millions of people were watching last night. And there were not that many people watching this AIPAC...

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: Well, it should be reported.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Fair enough.

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: Millions of people are watching tonight.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

TOOBIN: Watching us.

BROWN: All right. We have got to take a quick break.

I'm going to get to you, Tara. We did not forget about you when we come back after the break.

Coming up: The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is over, of course. But that contest for the number-two slot, yes, it's just getting started. We are going to take a look at the front- runners in that race when we come back.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: We're back with our panel now.

And I do want to go to Tara Wall. We didn't get to Tara a moment ago, who is down in Washington.

And I want to talk a little bit at this stage of the game about what Hillary Clinton can do for Barack Obama, now that she has come around. She is going to have this (AUDIO GAP) her supporters to move into his camp.

How crucial is it, Tara, that we see the two of them together, the photo-op, the handshake, and see it soon?

TARA WALL, DEPUTY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, "THE WASHINGTON TIMES": Well, there are some hurt feelings there, Campbell.

I mean, there's going to have to be some heal -- some wounds that are healed over, because the party has been divided. The longer she has stayed in this, the further they were becoming more divided. She's lost a significant amount -- she had lost a significant amount of the black vote because of some of the divisive comments that took part.

And I think that what -- what they're going to have to do, they can put on a pretty face, if you will. But I think what she is really vying -- what she is vying for -- she's not going to say this openly and in public, but she is vying for a V.P. spot here. And, you know, I think that folks right now, we need to also take a moment, take a moment to just breathe, wait, sit back, and take a look at the historical significance that has just taken place. We're already -- I mean, you have surrogates out already talking about her being a V.P. and Web site and blogs and her petitions.

And we haven't even taken a moment to step back and look at the significance, as the -- whether -- whatever side you're on, of a black American (AUDIO GAP) Americans really need to take a real hard look at that, and -- because we're really only a generation removed from the Civil Rights Act. So, that's first and foremost.

Secondly, I think it is going to be a challenge for the two of them because of some of the rhetoric that took place. Maybe they will, you know, mend some wounds, but we're going to replay some of this stuff, the Republicans will, replay some of this stuff in the fall that she has said over and over again, he wasn't fit to lead, that he is naive on foreign policy.

And while these things, in some degree, may or may not be true in her opinion, it's going to come back to haunt her in November.

BROWN: A really good point.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: And let me ask you guys that. I mean, there are a lot of things that she said that are going to come back to haunt him in November.

FOREMAN: Look, there's no question about that. And the Republicans are already teeing this thing up, as they should.

I mean, that's what you do in this game. They're going to take all those statements by Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and they're going to say, his own party did not think he was really fit for the job.

And she also has her work cut out on this. If she's going to support the Democratic Party, she's going to have to come out very strongly and reverse herself on this and say, he really is worth doing this job.

(CROSSTALK)

WALL: And how does she say that, you know, he understands -- how does she say to AIPAC that he understands what is at stake, when she has called naive on foreign policy? That is not going to square with some folks, and, so, she is going to have some explaining to do on that part.

CAPUTO: She's...

BROWN: Lisa.

CAPUTO: She's doing the right thing by taking the steps she took today at AIPAC, which is a step to unite the party.

And I think you raise an interesting question, because she has gone on the offensive. Her husband has gone on the offensive. That's a primary process. You run in a general election against the Republican candidate. She will campaign, and campaign hard, for this -- for this nominee, for sure.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: Sorry. Go ahead, Jeff.

TOOBIN: By the standards of primaries, this has not been especially ugly or divisive.

CAPUTO: Not at all.

TOOBIN: This has not been a real mudslinging campaign. Neither candidate said anything here that would disqualify them from campaigning vigorously for the other.

Hillary Clinton can turn on a dime and support Barack Obama. There's no problem...

(CROSSTALK)

FOREMAN: But I think something that political insiders do very often is, they draw a very clean line between the primary season and the general season.

In my experience, voters don't do that so much. Voters say, what did I hear?

(CROSSTALK)

FOREMAN: And they don't say, oh, that was primary fights. It's OK now.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: Go ahead. Sorry. Go ahead.

TOOBIN: Oh, no.

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: I interrupted you.

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: No, I'm trying to be nice.

CAPUTO: We forgive him.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: They are -- also, just to Jeff's point, they are very, very aligned on the issues. Their positions on the issues are very, very close in nature.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: And someone -- a number of people have made the point that, because they were so close on the issues, that may be why things got really personal on many other fronts.

CAPUTO: But, again, it wasn't that personal.

I mean, when you look in historical context, there were races that have happened in history in primaries that just were flat-out ugly. They were ugly.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Hey, Tara...

WALL: And there is the exception.

BROWN: Go ahead.

WALL: There is the exception of health care.

I mean, they do have stark differences when it comes to health care. And I think that's one of the things that, if Hillary Clinton does not become his V.P. nominee...

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: But not stark -- Tara, with all due respect, not stark compared to Obama and McCain.

(CROSSTALK)

WALL: No, absolutely, absolutely.

They're slightly different. They're not -- I mean, he's -- he's offering a -- a voluntary universal plan. She's offering a mandated plan. There are significant differences when you're talking about choice among voters and a choice between, you know, if you want it to be mandated or voluntary.

I think that that's -- but those are one of the substantive policy issues that I think she would like to have a hand in, irregardless of whether she is V.P. or not, whether it's a Cabinet position or what you, she would like to have a hand in.

But let's also not discount -- I mean, we talk about unity. There's going to be some unity, but there are a lot of hurt feelings in the black community. And I hear this on black radio. I heard it last night. I heard it today. And caller and caller that called in to this particular host say, do not -- we do not want her as V.P.

There are some hurt feelings in the black community. And she has got to extend an olive branch that goes a lot further to heal those wounds in that community. And bringing out Bob Johnson is not one way that's going to do it, because this is...

CAPUTO: No one brought -- no one brought out Bob Johnson.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Let Lisa respond to that, Tara.

CAPUTO: No one brought out Bob Johnson. He acted on his own, OK?

TOOBIN: He's been a free agent...

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: ... throughout.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Tara, Tara, Tara, Tara, let Lisa respond to that.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: By the way, you know, so did Lanny Davis with his petition. Those are not sanctioned by the campaign.

Let me say this. I take the point of what Tara has just said, but let's remember, there are millions and millions of women who are feeling...

WALL: Absolutely.

CAPUTO: ... just as angry and hurt, too.

(CROSSTALK)

CAPUTO: So, let's put it behind us and move forward and do the right thing and unite against McCain.

BROWN: All right, guys...

WALL: Absolutely.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Well, I don't think Tara...

(CROSSTALK)

WALL: Well, I wouldn't agree with that, but...

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: OK, guys, we have got to take a quick break.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: A quick break.

Yes, there you go.

(CROSSTALK)

WALL: Yes.

BROWN: Breaking news we are following tonight: Senator Clinton suspending her campaign.

We're going to be back shortly.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, as you've probably heard by now, there's breaking news tonight. Multiple sources telling CNN Hillary Clinton will suspend her campaign. There is an event planned in Washington, D.C., on this coming Friday. We're already hearing some inevitable questions about why Clinton who started out as a frontrunner in this campaign came up short.

CNN's Jessica Yellin has some answers for us tonight.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, this is one of those campaigns that political experts are going to be studying for years because Senator Clinton seemed unstoppable for so long. In fact, she seemed unstoppable until she hit the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN (voice-over): How did Hillary Clinton go from the sure thing to the also run? First, she run as the inevitable nominee, heir to the golden Clinton political brand, the woman Democrats would certainly embrace. But she lost Iowa, came in a shocking third place, and her star began to dim.

JONATHAN PRICE, POLITICAL ANALYST: They have built an entire campaign whose notion is that this candidate is so unstoppable that everybody just better get on board. It's just has, you know, it's got a dangerous back side. If the inevitability collapses, you've got a problem.

YELLIN: Second, she ran as a near incumbent, selling her extensive resume for years in the White House.

H. CLINTON: I'm offering a lifetime of experience. We need a president who is ready on day one.

YELLIN: But voters this year weren't looking for Washington experience and Obama hit all the right notes.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We will change the country and we will change the world.

YELLIN: In the beginning, Clinton was all head no heart, focusing on policy prescription instead of letting voters know her as a person.

H. CLINTON: I will ring to the White House the same passion and commitment to making positive change for Americans that I have my entire life.

YELLIN: As she started to lose, the passionate Hillary came out.

H. CLINTON: I think it's time we didn't just bail out Wall Street. What about bailing out Main Street? What about recognizing that for many people they count those pennies every single week.

YELLIN: But by then, it was too late. Behind the scenes, the campaign was fraught with problems, strategic blunders, including the decision to skip small caucus states. Obama swept them racking up enough delegates to build an insurmountable lead.

PRICE: The whole shouldn't match. If she had competed in those states and then it raised the state narrow, we might be having an entirely different outcome.

YELLIN: Mismanagement, the vaunted Clinton political machine broke down. Staffers went to war with one another, and the campaign ran out of money.

H. CLINTON: So I hope you'll go to HillaryClinton.com.

YELLIN: Meantime, Obama started raking in a seemingly endless stream of small contributions over the Internet. Then, of course, there's Bill. Oh, Bill, we never knew you.

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They just spin you up on this and you happily go along. Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen.

YELLIN: Her biggest asset became one of her biggest liabilities, going off message and alienating African-Americans who turn out in droves for Obama.

And finally, Barack Obama, the freshman senator who came out of nowhere, defied all expectations and may be an inevitable candidate, has stunned runner-up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And bottom line, Jessica, if you're with us, I got a question for you here. It does seem that the campaign game has really changed a lot since the Clinton years, hasn't it?

YELLIN: Yes, it has, Campbell, in two ways. One is the Internet phenomenon. YouTube broadcasts every gap instantaneously and anything that Bill or Hillary Clinton said and this happened often, got picked up and determined the news cycle for them. That was not something they were used to.

Barack Obama used the Internet to his advantage in a way no one had seen before. I've talked to people in the business world who say they should model corporate outreach on the way Barack Obama has used outreach on the Internet to raise an enormous amount of money.

The other way is not the air that's changed, but the Clintons have gotten older, and they have surrounded themselves largely with the same people that they were with back in the White House days. They used an old establishment model of reaching out for big donors, instead of going for people who can give little bits like Barack Obama did. They're just not the youngest people in the room anymore, and they were playing an older game in a new era. So Barack Obama really had the advantage in that sense in two different ways.

BROWN: All right. Jessica Yellin for us tonight. Jessica, appreciate it.

And more on our top stories. Senator Clinton suspending her campaign Friday to throw her support behind Barack Obama. Stay with us. We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Senator Hillary Clinton expected to suspend her campaign on Friday. We have been reporting all night the breaking news. She's going to have an event down in Washington, D.C. to thank her supporters to endorse Barack Obama and make it all formal and official. Of course, Obama now clinched the nomination.

John McCain losing no time challenging Senator Obama to not one, not two, but 10 debates, the first in just eight days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: What I'd like to do is have 10 town hall meetings, one a week, between now and the Democratic convention. Maybe have two to 400 people chose by an objective organization, have them show up and come to these town hall meetings all over America. The first one I would suggest to take place on June 12, and that would be in New York City in Federal Hall, a place where the beginnings of our government took place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Now, the McCain campaign tells the "Associated Press" that campaign managers for the two sides spoke by phone today and agreed in spirit to participate in joint town hall appearances and the negotiations will continue.

In the meantime, let's look ahead a little further. To handicap McCain's chances in the general election campaign, CNN chief national correspondent right now, John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOHN KING, CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The starting line, advantage Obama. His party label alone is on a big edge this year.

OBAMA: We have never been more energized and united in our desire to take this country in a new direction.

WHIT AYRES, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Eighty percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country and ready to blame Republicans for it.

PETER HART, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He's on the right side of all the fundamental issues, the economy, the war and health care. That's a powerful combination of things that Barack Obama brings to this election.

KING: But the grueling primary season also exposed major Obama weaknesses among two voting blocs critical in presidential politics.

HART: He has a lot of work to do with older voters, with white working class. His voters are saying, yes, we can. The rest of the electorate is saying, who are you? They don't know him, and what they know about him tends to be defined through Jeremiah Wright.

KING: Three months to worry about November while the Democrats were still fighting gave John McCain a chance to make the case he is different from the unpopular Republican in the White House now.

MCCAIN: For nearly four years, Rumsfeld mishandled this war.

AYRES: Whether it's Rumsfeld's leadership of the Pentagon or the number of troops necessary in Iraq or Guantanamo, or torture or campaign finance reform, or spending or climate change, John McCain has been a thorn on the side of the Bush administration.

KING: Obama's challenge is to suggest his rival's maverick image is a mirage.

HART: He's voted with George Bush, 89 percent of the time. And besides that, he happens to be over the age of 70 at a time the voters are looking for change and transforming to the next generation.

KING: In turn, McCain's challenge is to turn the age question into a discussion about experience and values.

AYRES: Barack Obama comes across as a guy who is more comfortable in Berkley or Harvard than he is at most of the places in between. Barack Obama is the most liberal member of the United States Senate and has a long string of policy positions to back that up.

HART: Voters need to answer one question about Barack Obama. Is he safe? At this moment, it's a question mark rather than an exclamation point.

KING: That question is most profound among white working class and older voters. It raises doubts about Obama's viability in critical fall battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri and Florida. And it is that question mark that keeps Senator McCain competitive in a year that on the surface should be lopsided in favor of the Democrats.

John King, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So with this breaking news, it is game on for Barack Obama. In the general election campaign underway, John McCain has a head start and a good head start now. So what does Obama need to do? What is he planning to do to compete? We're going to have.

We'll talk to the best political team on television about what some of his challenges are coming out of these primary races when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: We are back with this hour's breaking news, and we have a little bit of new information to tell you about. We have been reporting from multiple sources Hillary Clinton officially ending her campaign. There is an event planned on Friday.

We're now being told by a statement from the Clinton campaign that they will be having this event in Washington, D.C. on Saturday now, in order to accommodate more of Senator Clinton supporters who would like to attend.

And to talk about all of this, I've got back with me now Jeffrey Toobin, Tom Foreman, and joining us now Republican strategist and CNN contributor, Ed Rollins, former Huckabee campaign chair with us as well. And I believe Tara Wall is still with us from Washington, D.C. There she is.

WALL: I'm still here.

BROWN: Welcome to Tara as well. So, this event on Saturday, it's going to be the official sort of hand shake. Hillary Clinton showing her support, and we wanted to talk about some of Barack Obama's challenges coming out of the primaries, getting into the general election fight. One of them is going to be obviously women voters.

Her coming onboard is going to help a lot. But Jeff, what else does he need to do to reach this constituency that it is still pretty angry?

TOOBIN: Well, you have to get the support of the principal, and I think Hillary Clinton will be enormously helpful. Look, every nominee of a major party had a primary first, and there are always hurt feelings.

Usually the parties come together, and given the motivations of Democrats to win in November, I don't think there's much doubt that the vast majority of Democrats will wind up voting for Barack Obama. BROWN: Looking at his challenges, Ed, is that his target group? Is that going to be like, I guess, the biggest?

ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: That's the short term.

BROWN: In the short term, really.

ROLLINS: That's the short term. I mean, time is going to heal a lot of things just as Jeff said. And the bottom line is, he's got time. This thing has been going on for a very long period of time. He really needs just to let it settle for a week or two, rest, make a correct decision, and the correct decision is to who he feels most compatible and who helps him.

You know, I think in the long term, the Clintons are political professionals and they'll be back in the trenches and help as much as they can. I think his bigger issue that he has to articulate some real significant issues -- I mean, he's a guy, who gives a great speech, but where's the substance? So the old Gary Hart, the Mondale on Gary Hart, where's the beef? And I think that's what you're going to see more and more.

And I think the whole McCain campaign is listen, nice young man, but never seen the Oval Office, doesn't understand what government's about, never been to Iraq. Here's a whole series of things. Do you want to trust him in this time of great danger?

BROWN: All right. We're going to take a quick break.

TOOBIN: He went to Iraq once.

BROWN: But, yes, one trip to Iraq. Fair. Yes, give him that. Everyone deserves credit for it when they go.

ROLLINS: I stand corrected by the attorney.

BROWN: We're going to come back and talk about whether Barack Obama needs to redefine himself to a new, much bigger general election constituency right after this. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": I'm Larry King with breaking news. Hillary Clinton is quitting the race. What does she want next?

We'll have all of the developing details. They're still coming in. And Jesse Ventura will join us, and so will Bill Richardson and others. They're here to tell us what they think, and we'll get what you think, too.

That's "LARRY KING LIVE" at the top of the hour, and ELECTION CENTER with Campbell Brown will be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: Panel back with me now to talk about our breaking news. We've got Jeff Toobin, Tom Foreman, Republican strategist, CNN contributor Ed Rollins, former Huckabee campaign chairman. Also, Republican Tara Wall joining us down in Washington.

Picking up where we left off, Tara, Ed was making the point that Barack Obama does need to redefine himself now that the primary races are over and we're looking at the general election campaign. Some of the challenges he faces, in large part, are ones that Republicans may use against him. The patriotism issue.

It came up a little bit on the primaries. Is this going to be a huge talking point for Republicans?

WALL: Well, I don't know if it's a talking point but it's a huge gap to fill, and this is an unanswered question in many areas. I mean, he does have some unanswered questions as it relates to faith, as it relates to, you know, forget about the pin, but his patriotism, particularly when you talk about foreign policy and things of that nature.

I will say, though, Barack Obama does have a significant fund- raising advantage over John McCain, and that is one area John McCain is really going to have to bring up the rear. I think that Republicans cannot simply say, liberal, liberal, liberal. And Democrats cannot simply say McCain is Bush, Bush, Bush.

It's got to be a lot broader than that and you've got to really look at, as Ed mentioned, some of these detailed issues, break them down issue by issue, and not just gloss over some of the facts as Obama has seemed to have done. So he needs to fill on those holes, absolutely.

BROWN: And the final word, Tom Foreman, who do you think at this stage of the game has the advantage going into this? Is it Obama with his enthusiasm, with the money?

FOREMAN: Statistically, yes. Statistically, yes. People want to change the party at a time like this. The economy is not doing well. The war has got a problem.

If you look at what normally happens, that would favor a change of parties. There's no question about that. But here's the thing. The difference between Obama and Clinton was one thing. The difference between Obama's level of experience and a certified war hero who's been around a long time is bigger.

It will be starker and they're not just playing for Democrats now. They're playing for everybody in the country, and that's what's going to make this a real race.

BROWN: All right. We have got it to end it there, guys.

But Jeff, thanks. To Ed, to Tom, and to Tara for us down in Washington, appreciate it.

WALL: Thank you.

BROWN: Just ahead, Barack Obama makes history and some History students can't stop talking about it. We're going to find out why. An especially important lesson for them when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: We just want to remind you of the breaking news tonight. Hillary Clinton suspending her campaign officially on Saturday. She's going to have an event in Washington, D.C., express her support for Barack Obama.

Historic is a word that we have heard repeatedly over the last 24 hours since Barack Obama claimed the Democratic nomination.

And national correspondent, Gary Tuchman, tells us what some young people think of Obama making history.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's time for U.S. government class at North Community High School in Minneapolis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Britney, you're going to be president.

TUCHMAN: And there is excitement and adrenaline in the air at this predominantly African-American school. Barack Obama delivered his history-making speech just a few miles from here. Valencia McMurray is a junior.

(on camera): When you were a little girl, did you think it was possible for a black person to be president of the United States?

VALENCIA MCMURRAY, STUDENT: Never. Because it just never would have crossed my mind. I have a good imagination but I couldn't have thought of this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel you have a voice?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Many schools across America, academics were combined with inspiration today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a day America turned --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thirty years from now, we could be anything. You know --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just gave me hope that change is on the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday was like a landmark. But I don't think people should get overexcited because he's not in office yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, good.

TUCHMAN: The discussion was candid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if circumstances were different? Another white senator running against another white senator? Would you feel as excited or enthused about the opportunity to participate in this coming November election?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

STUDENTS: No.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it would depend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it wouldn't be making history. It will just be like just another election.

TUCHMAN: One of the three Caucasian students in this class of 36 told us something that caught many here by surprise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know people who under normal circumstances voted for Hillary. But then, they're going to vote for Obama because this has happened. Their friend has told them if you don't vote for Obama, you're a racist.

TUCHMAN: All in this class agreed this will be a dramatic time for them and their country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frederick Douglass said, I mean this isn't the exact quote or anything, but he pretty much said that people who want change without any work or any struggle are like people that want rain without thunder and lightning.

TUCHMAN: The class lasted 50 minutes. But these students were so energized they could have talked much more. And they probably will in class again tomorrow.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: When we continue, Barack Obama tells us in his own words what he thinks of his historic achievement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Our breaking news that Senator Clinton is quitting the campaign with an event on Saturday. Barack Obama will get her support then. So many people have told us what they think of Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination, but what does he think about it? Here's Obama now in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOICE OF OBAMA: Obviously, it's an enormous honor. It's very humbling. You think about the -- all the people who had to knock down barriers for me to walk through this door. And the challenges they went through were so much more difficult and so much more severe, and the risks they took were so much greater. That, I will say last night, standing in that auditorium, it struck me that it was a testimony to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Senator Barack Obama tonight -- and that is it for us.

"LARRY KING LIVE" is starting right now.