Barack Obama today made history as he garnered enough delegates to ensure he wrapped up the marathon Democratic nomination for the presidency.

Image: Sen. Obama campaigning in Des Moines,Iowa. Credit: Joe Crimmings Photography/flickr

The Illinois senator picked up enough delegates from the final two primaries in Montana and South Dakota and gains in superdelegates to give him the win, making him the first African-American to lead his party.

There was no immediate sign of concession from Sen. Hillary Clinton though, who told supporters at a rally that she would be making no decisions on her future tonight.

However she has pledged to "to do what it takes" to get the Democratic nominee in the White House in November, a sign she may be interested in the job as Obama's running mate.

Sen. Obama has described the event as a "defining moment for our nation".

Sen. Barack Obama looks to be nearing his goal of gaining enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination as the two camps prepare for Tuesday's final two primaries in Montana and South Dakota.

Obama wont gain the pledged delegates from tomorrow's last two contests -- there aren't enough delegates on offer, however he is expected to be able to claim enough superdelegates to fall over the line, according to press reports.

With Obama needing just 41.5 delegates to win the nomination according to AP predictions, CNN has reported that most of the seventeen uncommitted Senate delegates will throw their support behind Obama following the end of the nomination process.

Image: Sen. Obama addresses a rally at the University of Maryland, Feb 2008. Credit: Thirty30 Photography/flickr

Image: Sen. Clinton in Hampton,NH. Credit: marcn/flickr

As expected, Senator Hillary Clinton romped home in the weekend's Puerto Rico primary by a comfortable two to one margin, reinforcing her strong support among Latino voters. However despite the solid win, it was the weekend's key party decision to seat Florida and Michigan delegates at the Democratic Convention with only half a vote each which appears to have put the final nail in the New York Senator's long and expensive campaign.

Delegates from both Florida and Michigan, states where Sen. Clinton won primaries by a healthy margin, were penalised by the Democratic party for holding their primaries at an earlier date. Originally punished by the stripping of the states' delegates from the convention, the Democratic party's rules committee voted Saturday to allow the delegates won by the nominees to attend the convention in Denver, but under the stipulation that they be given only half a vote each.