WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Democratic presidential nominating contest is over.
Even as New York Sen. Hillary Clinton leaves her options open in the primary race, Reid joined other top party leaders this morning in saying it's time for the party to unite for the general election.
In an early morning statement, Reid and the others set a Friday deadline for uncommitted super delegates to make their choices known.
The timely statement follows Clinton's stunning speech Tuesday night when she declined to concede the race to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who secured enough delegates as the final states voted to win the party's nomination.
"The voters have spoken," said the statement from Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Democratic Governors' Association Chairman Joe Manchin.
"Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election," the leaders said. "To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted super delegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country."
The statement does not name Obama as the party's presumed nominee, but commends all the Democratic candidates, especially Clinton and Obama, "for making this such a transformational election" that brought record numbers of voters to the polls.
Reid, who has remained neutral throughout the race - as have the other top party leaders - said Tuesday that once the primary process concluded he would lead the Senate's remaining uncommitted super delegates by example.
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