Historic First: Obama's the Nominee

Barack Obama today became the first black candidate to earn the presidential nomination of a major party. His main rival, Hillary Clinton, got him there with a flourish by personally suspending the official roll call and asking that he be nominated by acclamation. She said she did so "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory," the Washington Post reports.

"Let's declare with one voice that Barack Obama is our candidate," Clinton said to a thunderous ovation. Hours earlier, the one-time frontrunner ended any lingering fears of a drama-filled nominating process by releasing her delegates to vote for him. The vote today capped Obama's unprecedented rise from obscurity only 4 years ago.
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