Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday both predicted a swift end to the Democratic presidential campaign once South Dakotans and Montanans cast the last ballots of the primary season on Tuesday.
Reid of Nevada and Pelosi of California, in separate events in San Francisco, suggested the race is likely to end next week -- a conclusion that almost certainly means Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois would secure the nomination over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, given his narrow but comfortable lead in both pledged delegates and superdelegates.
"By this time next week, it'll be all over, give or take a day," Reid said.
Pelosi predicted the nominee would emerge soon after the last votes are cast next Tuesday.
"We cannot take this fight to the convention," she said. "It must be over before then."
WASHINGTON POST
