June 4 (Bloomberg) — Barack Obama, who clinched the Democratic presidential nomination after a historic insurgent campaign, faces a new challenge: uniting the party and responding to growing pressure to choose rival Hillary Clinton as his running mate.

Obama, 46, last night passed the threshold of 2,118 delegates needed for the nomination to become the first black candidate to head a major-party ticket in U.S. history. Throughout a five-month campaign spanning 54 contests, he shattered fundraising records, out-organized Clinton and galvanized millions of new voters.

Still, Clinton, 60, didn’t concede and has put out the word that she is open to a vice presidential nomination. Her support among older women and working-class voters and victories in nine of the last 16 contests have given her leverage as Obama heads into the general election against Republican John McCain.

Obama and Clinton spoke briefly by phone last night and plan to meet in coming days, his spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

“He’s ready and willing to meet on her timetable,” Gibbs said this morning on NBC’s “Today” show. Obama and Clinton are in Washington to speak to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Reaching Out

Although there are indications that Obama isn’t enthusiastic about choosing her as his running mate, the Illinois senator reached out to Clinton and her supporters in his victory speech.

“Because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time,” he said at a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota. “Let us unite in a common effort to chart a new course for America.”

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written by Andrew