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Obama donates, asks donors to help Clinton's debt

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-27 10:05

Clinton and Obama plan to appear together for the first time since the end of the primary on Friday in symbolic Unity, N.H. -- where each got 107 votes in the state's January primary. Clinton won New Hampshire in an upset that set the stage for their long campaign, and it is now a critical battleground for the general election.

Obama told reporters Wednesday that he thinks she'll be extraordinarily effective in speaking for his candidacy and he'd like to have her campaigning for him as much as she can. "I think we can send Senator Clinton anywhere and she'll be effective," Obama said.

But the extent of her travel for Obama is not clear. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Wednesday that they have not scheduled any events after New Hampshire. "We don't have any specific knowledge of her schedule past Friday," Plouffe said.

Three Clinton confidants -- Cheryl Mills, Minyon Moore and Robert Barnett -- are in talks with Obama's campaign to work out details of her future involvement, including travel, her role at the national convention and resolution of her more than $20 million debt. Part of their argument is that Clinton can spend more time helping Obama if she isn't raising money to pay her bills.

Special coverage: 2008 US Presidential Election Related readings:  Obama asks supporters to help Clinton pay off debt  Hillary Clinton not to seek VP post  Former president Clinton vows to help Obama  Obama and Clinton set to campaign together  Obama raises $22m in May; Clinton in debt

Some Clinton supporters, including some of those at Thursday's fundraiser meeting, have been frustrated with Obama's efforts to help Clinton with her debt while they are raising even more money for him. In response, the Illinois senator has asked five of his top donors to coordinate an effort to do so.

"As those of you who were on the call yesterday heard, Barack has asked each of us to collect five or six checks to help Senator Clinton repay the people who provided goods and services to her campaign," finance chair Penny Pritzker said Wednesday in an e-mail to Obama's national finance committee. "He made this request in the spirit of party unity. Senator Clinton has promised to do everything she can to help us beat John McCain."

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

Obama told reporters Wednesday he wouldn't send an e-mail asking his small-dollar contributors to donate to Clinton because "their budgets are tighter" and they probably couldn't make much of a dent.

Clinton's encouragement came 19 days after she suspended her campaign and endorsed Obama. Since then, she has stayed largely out of sight at her home in New York and on vacation in the Hamptons, with brief public appearances for journalist Tim Russert's funeral and a high school commencement address. She returned to the Senate this week, and was roundly embraced by Democratic caucus members in front of news cameras.

An Associated Press-Yahoo News poll out Thursday shows Obama has won over slightly more than half of Clinton's former supporters. About a quarter of Clinton's backers say they will support McCain over Obama.

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