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Resentment simmers in Obama, Clinton camps

BY GLENN THRUSH | glenn.thrush@newsday.com

June 28, 2008

UNITY, N.H. - The name of the town was Unity, not Warmth.

Hillary Rodham Clinton stood side-by-side with former foe Barack Obama Friday against a backdrop chosen for its all-for-one name to declare their alliance as "unstoppable" - even as a noticeable chill lingered between rivals who spent 17 months in bitter political battle.

Clinton and Obama, both wearing slightly different shades of Democrat blue, lavished praise on each other and exhorted a crowd of 2,000 supporters to put aside their grudges to unite behind Obama.

"For anyone who voted for me and is considering not voting, or voting for Senator McCain, I strongly urge you to reconsider," she said, as Obama smiled while seated on a stool 2 feet away.

"I am proud we had a spirited dialogue - that's the nicest way I could think of putting it," she said to a smattering of laughter. Later, she predicted her support of the Illinois senator would create "an unstoppable force for change we can all believe in."

Yesterday, Bill and Hillary Clinton even contributed $2,300 each to Obama's general election effort - a day after Obama and his wife, Michelle, chipped in the same amount to help Clinton pay off campaign debt.

Despite the show of unity, simmering resentments still remain, particularly among Clinton backers who want Obama to offer her the vice-presidential slot, or think she should have taken her fight to the convention floor.

Cornelia Lewis, 57, of Denver, was among a small but vocal contingent of Clinton volunteers who defied their candidate's call for unity. "I'm here to support Hillary. Myself and a lot of her supporters in Colorado are adamant in not going for Obama," Lewis said. "I will either not vote, or I will vote for John McCain."

Even with their best efforts, the former rivals didn't always appear entirely at ease. At one point a handful of Obama supporters began chanting his name, countered by a chorus of "Hill-a-ry!" Obama tried to defuse the tension by wagging a finger, like an orchestral conductor, and joining in the shouting on the Clinton side.

As he has done in recent days, Obama appealed directly to skeptics - as recent polls shown up to a quarter of former Clintonites considering voting for McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee.

"We've made history together. ... We've shattered barriers that have stood since the founding of this nation," Obama said. "Women can do anything the boys can do and better. ... And do it in heels."

The pair were friendly to each other in public, whispering to one another and sharing private jokes in full view of 100 TV cameras. They shared a two-hour bus ride from Manchester, pulling out their BlackBerries to compare features, swapped stories about weird foods they were served on overseas trips, and lamented the loss of their privacy, according to aides.

They flew to New Hampshire together on Clinton's campaign jet and sat together during the hourlong flight. But they arrived on the tarmac in Washington for the flight to New Hampshire in separate motorcades - and Clinton skipped the flight back to the capital to attend a graduation ceremony in New York.

Unity - which the former rivals split 107-107 during Clinton's January primary win in the state - was chosen more for its metaphoric meaning than its logistical suitability. Supporters were bused up hours beforehand and braved mosquitoes, 85-degree heat and a brief deluge that sent reporters scurrying just as Clinton and Obama left the stage.

"Unity doesn't exist," said Rick Holmes, 56, who biked 15 miles from nearby Newport to attend. "It's not a real town with a real population; it's just sort of a geographical center served by three different post offices. It was a ridiculous place to have this."