Obama, Clinton to promote unity in Unity

[Kristina]

Obama, Clinton to promote unity in Unity
Story Highlights
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton work to unite their supporters for fall campaign

The former rivals will campaign together Friday in Unity, New Hampshire

Obama and his wife each give Clinton $2,300 toward her campaign debt

Clinton urges her fundraisers to work to elect Obama president

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(CNN) -- Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton plan to appear together Friday at a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, a town where they tied in the January primary.



Sen. Hillary Clinton, left, and Sen. Barack Obama leave Washington on Friday to fly to New Hampshire for a rally.

 The former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination left Washington together Friday morning for the flight to New Hampshire.

They shared a polite kiss on arrival and sat together on the plane.

Obama and Clinton had nothing but praise for each other as they appeared together at a fundraiser Thursday night.

"It was an extraordinary honor to be alongside her during the course of this campaign," Obama told the gathering in Washington of Clinton's top fundraisers. "I am a better candidate as a consequence of having run against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton."

Obama backed up his praise with his checkbook: He and his wife, Michelle, each donated $2,300 Thursday to Clinton's campaign, which is millions of dollars in debt. That's the maximum an individual can legally donate.

"We have to make it a priority in our lives to elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States," Clinton said, to sustained applause.  Watch Obama campaign official discuss both Clintons »

"I know my supporters have extremely strong feelings, and I know Barack's do as well," Clinton told her fundraisers. "But we are a family, and we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly we do know what's at stake, and we will do whatever it takes to win back this White House."

Obama sounded a similar theme.

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"I recognize that this room shared the same passion that a roomful of my supporters would show. I do not expect that passion to be transferred. Sen. Clinton is unique, and your relationships with her are unique," he said. "Sen. Clinton and I at our core agree deeply that this country needs to change."

At the end of his remarks, Obama made a direct appeal for support. "I'm going to need Hillary by my side campaigning during his election, and I'm going to need all of you."  Watch how those at the fundraiser rated the unity drive »

Clinton campaign manager Terry McAuliffe said Friday that the her team had been working to drum up support for Obama since Clinton suspended her campaign earlier this month and endorsed Obama.

"We have done this now for three weeks," he told CNN. "We've done conference calls all over the country to all of our people. 'OK, we tried. We gave it everything we had. Now we need to move forward and support Sen. Obama.'"

Asked about the possibility of an Obama-Clinton ticket, McAuliffe said, "I think if she were on the ticket I think we honestly ... would control the White House for 16 years."

"But Sen. Obama's got to make that decision himself. He's got to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the campaign and country," McAuliffe said. "Whatever he decides to do, whatever role for Hillary, she is ready to go. And she will do whatever they ask her to do in the fall campaign."

Obama has shied away from any talk of a possible joint ticket, although he's said Clinton "would be on anyone's short list."

"I think we will have a terrific time together in New Hampshire. And I think that she will be very effective all the way through the election," he said Thursday night.

This week, Obama asked top contributors to help Clinton retire her campaign debt of $22 million, about $12 million of which she loaned to her own campaign.

Clinton and Obama endured a protracted and, at times, fierce primary season.

Concern about the division in the party arose because the two candidates appealed to such different segments of the electorate. Clinton did well with working-class voters and the elderly. Obama rallied the support of affluent, well-educated voters, African-Americans and young people.

In exit polls conducted throughout the primary season, many Clinton backers said they either would not vote or would vote for Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate, should Obama become their party's nominee.

Clinton has said it would be a "grave" mistake for her supporters to cast their votes for McCain.

"Anyone who voted for me has very little in common with the Republican Party. If you care about the issues I care about, and the future that I outlined during my campaign, then you really have to stay with us in the Democratic Party and vote for Sen. Obama to be our next president," she said in Washington on Tuesday.

But voters aren't quick to forget what was, at times, a contentious race for the Democratic nomination.


Clinton labeled Obama an "elitist" for saying some small-town Pennsylvanians were "bitter" people who "cling to guns and religion" in the days leading up to that state's primary.

Obama accused Clinton of acting like "Annie Oakley ... packin' a six-shooter" in her attempts to connect with gun owners.
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CNN's Sasha Johnson contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/27/clinton.obama/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[Kristina]

[Monique Faulkner]

Obama donates to Clinton campaign
Posted: 07:30 AM ET


 
Sen. Obama and Michelle Obama donated to Clinton's debt.
 
(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, each donated $2,300 Thursday to the campaign of his former opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, which is millions of dollars in debt.


Sen. Barack Obama will make his first campaign appearance with Sen. Hillary Clinton on Friday.

 In addition, Obama's national finance chairman, Penny Pritzker, and her husband donated another $2,300 each, said Obama communications director Robert Gibbs. The $2,300 is the maximum individual contribution allowed.

"[Obama] wrote a check himself, as well as his finance chairman, so I got two checks in my pocket for Hillary," said Clinton adviser Terry McAuliffe.

Asked how much the checks were for, he responded, "They maxed out."

Obama communications director Robert Gibbs confirmed the Obamas' donations.

The move comes nearly three weeks after Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

This week, Obama asked top contributors to help Clinton retire her campaign debt of $22 million, about $12 million of which she loaned to her own campaign.

The two Democrats met Thursday night in Washington with her top fundraisers.

 Watch CNN's Candy Crowley report on the donation »

On Friday, they are to appear together at a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, a town on the state's western border where they tied in the January primary.

Clinton and Obama endured a protracted and, at times, fierce primary season. After months of divisive contests that took them through every state, the two are focused on uniting their party in order to defeat the Republicans in November.

Concern about the division in the party arose because the two candidates appealed to such different segments of the electorate. Clinton did well with working-class voters and the elderly. Obama rallied the support of affluent, well-educated voters, African-Americans and the younger generation.  Watch what Clinton and Obama hope to accomplish »

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In exit polls conducted throughout the primary season, many Clinton backers said they either would not vote or would vote for Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate, should Obama become their party's nominee.

Clinton has said it would be a "grave" mistake for her supporters to cast their votes for McCain.

"Anyone who voted for me has very little in common with the Republican party. If you care about the issues I care about, and the future that I outlined during my campaign, then you really have to stay with us in the Democratic Party and vote for Sen. Obama to be our next president," she said in Washington on Tuesday.

Since Clinton endorsed Obama this month, she has been urging her supporters to follow suit.

"The way to continue our fight now to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States," she said as she suspended her campaign.

Obama and Clinton have appeared on good terms in recent weeks. Obama has repeatedly praised Clinton while on the trail.

Obama has shied away from any talk of a possible joint ticket, although he's said Clinton "would be on anyone's short list."

The senator from Illinois has made it clear, however, that he wants Clinton's help.

"I want her campaigning as much as she can. She was a terrific campaigner. She I think inspired millions of people, and so she can be an extraordinarily effective surrogate for me, and the values and ideals that we share as Democrats," Obama said Wednesday in Chicago.

"I think we will have a terrific time together in New Hampshire. And I think that she will be very effective all the way through the election," he said.

But voters aren't quick to forget what was, at times, a contentious race for the Democratic nomination.


Clinton labeled Obama an "elitist" for saying some small-town Pennsylvanians were "bitter" people who "cling to guns and religion" in the days leading up to that state's primary.

Obama accused Clinton of acting like "Annie Oakley ... packin' a six-shooter" in her attempts to connect with gun owners.

[Monique Faulkner]

Clinton makes debut as Obama backer
Posted: 10:30 PM ET



From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
 
Clinton made her debut as an Obama backer Thursday.
 
(CNN) — After 17 months of vigorously promoting her own candidacy, Hillary Clinton made her debut on Thursday as an official backer of Barack Obama.

Clinton appeared before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials meeting in Washington and forcefully argued the Illinois senator would be a strong advocate of the Latino community if he is elected president.

Related: Unity is theme for Obama, Clinton

Earlier, she told the American Nurses Association that “Anyone who voted for me has little in common with the Republican Party.”

Clinton formally backed her onetime rival nearly three weeks ago, but Thursday's appearances were the first time that the New York senator has advocated for Obama's candidacy publicly in front of voters.

Watch: Obama, Clintons: Hard feelings?

"I know Senator Obama. I have served with him now for nearly four years in the Senate. I campaigned with him for more than 16 months on the campaign trail. I have stood on the stage in 22 debates, but who is counting," Clinton said to laughter.


"Every issue you care about personally, every issue that your constituents care about, every issue that NALEO is fighting for is really at risk," She continued. "We cannot afford four more years of the same. It wont be good for any of us, and therefore we have to be determined to chart a new course, and cannot do that without electing Senator Obama our president."

The NALEO appearance seals Clinton's reentry into the 2008 presidential campaign, 19 days after she called her White House bid quits. It came only hours before Clinton and Obama are set to appear together before powerful Democratic fundraisers that have largely supported Clinton's bid in the Democratic primary. And on Friday, the two senators will head to Unity, New Hampshire, in their first foray on the campaign trail together.

Latino voters overwhelmingly supported Clinton's White House bid throughout the primary season and some Clinton surrogates suggested Obama may have trouble courting the influential voting bloc in the general election.

Specifically, ardent Clinton backer Terry McAuliffe said the New York senator's overwhelming win in Puerto Rico proved Obama had a "problem with the Latino community," and "cannot close in this key core constituency.

But the NALEO audience was all cheers for the Illinois senator Thursday, showing few signs Obama will have difficulty courting the demographic as the general election campaign heats up.

As for Clinton, she told the crowd she "had a lot of fun" campaigning for president, even though there were "some tough times."

"What I remember were all of the faces, all of the people who came out to support me, all of the elected officials who stood by my side, all of the funny things that happened in a campaign that you don't ever predict, but which are memorable," she said.

[Monique Faulkner]

Michelle Obama praises Clinton
Posted: 01:36 PM ET



 
Michelle Obama praised Clinton's policy work Thursday.
 
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – Michelle Obama says the country is closer than it's ever been to truly supporting working families, in large part because of her husband's former rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The wife of Sen. Barack Obama is campaigning in New Hampshire Thursday with former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who is running for U.S. Senate. Her visit comes a day before her husband returns to New Hampshire with Clinton for their first joint appearance since he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.
Michelle Obama said because of Clinton's work the issues important to women and working families are front and center.
She said her husband will work to expand sick time and paid family leave, help parents afford child care and make sure women get equal pay.
Filed under: AP • Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton