Rivals rally in appeal for party unity

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-29  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

BARACK Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have campaigned together for the first time to heal divisions from their bitter fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, and called for party unity to beat Republican John McCain in the race for the White House.

Clinton, once considered the inevitable nominee before she was beaten by Obama earlier this month, noted on Friday that they had stood "toe to toe" against each other in a primary season battle that began almost two years ago. She declared the time had come to "stand shoulder to shoulder" against the Republicans to regain a presidency that their party had not held since her husband, Bill Clinton, left office at the start of 2001.

The venue of Unity, New Hampshire, was carefully chosen for the pair's first joint campaign appearance, both for the symbolism of its name and its role in the primary race. Unity awarded exactly 107 votes to each candidate in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary in January, though Clinton actually took the state.

It was a day for Democrats to pledge a united front in the campaign against McCain and to remember the most historic presidential primary campaign in memory.

Obama praised both Clintons as allies and pillars of the Democratic Party. "We need them. We need them badly," Obama said.

"For 16 months, Senator Clinton and I have shared the stage as rivals for the nomination, but today I could not be happier and more honored and more moved that we're sharing this stage as allies to bring about the fundamental changes that this country so desperately needs," he said.

"I've admired her as a leader, I've learned from her as a candidate. She rocks. She rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make," Obama said in response to cheers from the crowd.