One of Clinton’s aides said they were told that except for her senior advisers, there was no reason to report to work after Friday, and that they were invited to Clinton’s house for a farewell celebration. The announcement from Clinton was moved to Saturday to accommodate more supporters who wanted to attend, aides said.

“Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, D.C., to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity,” Wolfson said.

Obama, not waiting for a formal concession from Clinton, announced a three-member vice-presidential selection committee that will include Caroline Kennedy, who has become a close personal adviser since endorsing him four months ago.

With some Democrats promoting Clinton as Obama’s No. 2, his aides said they would move slowly in the search, allowing passions from the bruising primary battles to cool.

“Now that the interfamily squabble is done,” Obama said Wednesday evening at a Manhattan fund-raiser, “all of us can focus on what needs to be done in November.” Earlier Wednesday, Obama and Clinton crossed paths briefly in Washington. As he left the Capitol, Obama told reporters, “We’re going to have a conversation in the coming weeks.”

Obama appeared before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where, tacking to the right, he described a far tougher series of sanctions he would be willing to impose on Iran than he had outlined heretofore.

Clinton, in a later appearance before the group, moved to reassure an audience clearly nervous about Obama’s views on Israeli security. “I know that Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel,” she said.

... contd.