Clinton On Reports of Talks To Exit Early: “Flatly Untrue”

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

BRANDON, S.D. -- Hillary Clinton denied reports today that her campaign has been in talks with Barack Obama’s campaign on an early exit strategy.

During an editorial board interview with the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Clinton called the reports “flatly untrue, flatly completely untrue.” Clinton went on to say there have been “no discussions” on the matter saying an early exit is “nothing I am entertaining, nothing I have planned.”

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told Fox News today: "I think our campaign and now their campaign as well have both said that this report is completely untrue. Both campaigns I think are rightly focused on the last three contests that are left in this race and then we'll know the nominee. That's what we're focused on, I think that's what they're focused and that's why the report is simply untrue."

Clinton went on to say in the interview that she is still “vigorously campaigning” and that there has been an ongoing effort to end the nomination process early. “Every time they declare it, doesn’t make it so,” Clinton said of the pundits and members of her party looking to wrap up the nomination process.

In her remarks, Clinton left open the possibility that she would take the fight all the way to the convention, citing historical examples of nominees who did the same.

“Many people who finished a rather distant second behind nominees went all the way to the convention,” Clinton told the editorial board, going on to cite presidential election years in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992.

Clinton continues to campaign for the nomination with a busy schedule today in South Dakota and with campaign stops in Puerto Rico over the weekend.