Senator Obama made no public effort to pressure Senator Clinton from the race, and in interviews with CNN and NBC News he praised her as a formidable candidate who could not yet be counted out. On NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, Senator Obama denied that he is now the presumptive nominee. "Not yet. I will be," he said. "If Senator Clinton decides not to go on, or if we complete the six contests and we are ahead as we are now. But nothing is certain. I don't want to take it for granted."

He said he was likely to lock up a majority of the pledged delegates — those awarded by voting in the primary and caucus states — after the Kentucky and Oregon primaries on May 20, and at that point he could declare victory. While he was respectful to Senator Clinton, Senator Obama seemed eager to challenge Republican nominee John McCain, saying he was "losing his bearings" in his pursuit of the presidency. Asked on CNN about Senator McCain's recent statement that the Palestinian party Hamas, considered by the United States to be a terrorist organisation, would favour Senator Obama's election, Senator Obama said it was offensive and called it a smear.

"And so for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination," he said. Senator Obama continued to gain more support from super-delegates, the elected Democrats and party officials whose votes will be necessary for either candidate to secure the nomination.

His very public arrival in the House chamber underscored the fact that the most important front in the nominating fight was suddenly Washington, where many of the super-delegates were milling around voting on amendments to a housing bill. It was in marked contrast to Senator Clinton's private meetings near the Capitol the day before as she sought to convert undecided lawmakers. Obama aides said they saw his visit as an opportunity to create an image of Senator Obama as the soon-to-be nominee. NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES