The Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama yesterday called on his top financial contributors to help Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton pay off her debt of at least $10 million from her failed presidential campaign.

In a teleconference with his top fundraisers Tuesday afternoon, Obama urged his finance team to do what they could to help Clinton. The Illinois Senator, however, did not direct members of his National Finance Committee to contribute to Clinton's campaign, but he asked them to do so if they were so inclined.

Clinton, who suspended her campaign and endorsed Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination this month, had amassed a campaign debt of about $22 million, but about $12 million of that is money the New York senator loaned to the campaign herself.
Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "Some of our donors have asked and Barack said if they have the ability to raise or give money to help on debt, we encourage them to do so.”

Obama's green light to his financial supporters came two days before his joint campaign appearance with Clinton on Friday in Unity, New Hampshire. He stated that he had telephonic conversation with Clinton earlier in the day as well as on Sunday. He said, “We had a good conversation. We're looking forward to seeing each other tomorrow and campaigning on Friday."

Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton, 2 weeks after his wife suspended her presidential campaign, offered a faint voice of endorsement for Barack Obama - through a spokesman. In a single-sentence e-mail, Clinton's spokesman Matt McKenna said, "President Clinton 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.”