Clinton camp in two minds over exit plan

Hillary Clinton's campaign team was yesterday locked in an intense debate about her exit strategy, before the Democratic primary battle comes to a close tonight.

Some of her team are pressing her to bow out gracefully and endorse Barack Obama. But die-hard loyalists are advocating she put her campaign on hold, hang on to her delegates and wait to see what turns up between now and the Democratic convention in August.

Clinton has organised a party in her home state, New York, to mark the end of the primary season with tonight's contests in South Dakota and Montana.

At her party she will thank her campaign workers for their efforts over the past five months. An insider said he would be shocked if she used the occasion to concede, insisting she had not yet made a final decision about her next move.

On Sunday Clinton refused to disclose her intentions. "We'll see when Tuesday and the day after Tuesday comes," she said. "My political obituary has yet to be written, and we're going forward. It's not over till it's over." But her campaign sent out emails to some staff advising them they were being laid off as of tonight.

Obama, who began yesterday only 45 short of the 2,118 delegates he needs to win the nomination, picked up several more superdelegates - those with automatic voting rights, such as members of Congress. Polls suggest he will gain 20 delegates from South Dakota and Montana.