'Our paths have merged,' Clinton tells Obama rally

'She rocks,' Obama says of former adversary

Last Updated: Friday, June 27, 2008 | 2:21 PM ET

CBC News

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama takes the stage with Senator Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in Unity, N.H., on Friday. (Elise Amendola/Associated Press)Hillary Clinton shared the stage with former rival Barack Obama on Friday in their first public appearance together since the end of the Democratic primaries three weeks ago, relaying the message that a Democratic president is "essential for America."

The once fierce and often rancorous Democratic presidential nomination rivals greeted a crowd of about 6,000 supporters in the aptly named and carefully chosen town of Unity, a day after they gathered for a private fundraising event in Washington, D.C.

Obama and Clinton each received 107 votes in the town during the state's primary in January.

“We may have started on different paths, but today, our paths have merged,” Clinton told the cheering crowd. "Unity is not only a beautiful place, as we can see, it's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?"

Clinton, with Obama sitting at her side, said their journey together "will end on the steps of the Capitol as Barack Obama takes the oath of office as the next president.”

She also targeted Obama's presumptive Republican opponent, John McCain, saying the Arizona senator and President George W. Bush were “two sides of the same coin, and it doesn’t amount to a whole lot of change.”

Obama began his speech by leading the crowd in a chant of "Thank you, Hillary," then said he was "honoured and moved" to be sharing a stage with her as an ally in the fight for the White House.

"I know first-hand how good she is, how tough she is, how committed she is," he said. "She rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make."

What about Bill?

Obama also offered praise for Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton, whose at times-acrimonious relationship with the Obama campaign has been a source of concern for many Democrats aiming to avoid entering a presidential election with a deeply divided party.

"We need them. We need them badly," Obama said. "Not just my campaign, but the American people need their service and their vision and their wisdom in the months and years to come because that's how we're going to bring about unity in the Democratic Party. And that's how we're going to bring about unity in America."

Clinton's appearance with Obama is clearly important in sending a message throughout the party's ranks, said Avis Jones-DeWeever, public policy and research director of the National Council of Negro Women.

"It's a very good symbolic gesture to be able to make that statement that it's time for the Democrats to unify if they want go ahead and move forward and win in November," Jones-DeWeever told CBC News from Washington on Friday.

On Thursday night, Clinton introduced Obama to her chief fundraisers. In a symbolic gesture to Clinton — who dropped out of the race this month — the Illinois senator donated $4,600 to the Clinton campaign on behalf of himself and his wife to help pay off Clinton's debt of more than $20 million.

Clinton's debt includes $12 million of her own money. She has said she is not asking for help paying that back.

Clinton comments caused outrage

Behind the scenes, the two sides are said to be still negotiating just how involved Clinton — as well as her husband, who was in London, England, on Friday for former South African president Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration — will be in Obama's election campaign.

The once highly popular former president's public image has plummeted during the Democratic contest, most notably after the South Carolina primary, when he charged the Obama campaign had “played the race card” on him after Clinton invoked Jesse Jackson's primary victories in the state in previous Democratic nomination races.

Many African-American supporters who had backed Clinton in his successful presidential runs were outraged, believing he was suggesting Obama's victory in the state was merely because of his race, a charge Clinton furiously denied.

Earlier this week, the former president issued a statement saying he is “obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States.”

Also unclear is what pull Hillary Clinton will have in bringing those who so vigorously supported her to Obama in the November election.

An Associated Press-Yahoo News poll released Thursday suggests Obama has won over slightly more than half of Clinton's former supporters. About a quarter of Clinton's backers said they would support Republican John McCain over Obama.