By Rick Pearson

More than $20 million in the hole and finding reluctance among Sen. Barack Obama's supporters to help retire her campaign debt, Sen. Hillary Clinton urged her backers to help her out by buying a t-shirt.

Not just any t-shirt. A $50 "limited edition" t-shirt, the winner in a contest launched in May when Clinton was still very much an active candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency against Obama.

"While the primary race may be over, I think the winning t-shirt -- and it won by a landslide -- still makes a wonderful statement about everything you and I accomplished in this historic race and our determination to keep fighting for what we believe in," Clinton wrote supporters in an e-mail today.

"If you contribute $50 today you'll get a t-shirt with the winning design and continue to help me pay down our campaign debt," she wrote, thanking "Denitza of Weehawken, New Jersey" for submitting the best of 125,000 entries.

The t-shirts with white lettering are available in a variety of sizes, up to XXXL--appropriate for an oversize campaign debt.

By Lisa Anderson

NEW YORK--On their newly hatched togetherness tour, former Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois appeared together at a fundraiser this morning at the New York Hilton.

Billed as a Women for Obama Finance Breakfast, the gathering drew more than 2,000 people, who paid between $250 and $2,300 per seat.

Many of them, according to Cora Weiss, one of the hosts, were former Clinton supporters.

But the difficulties of transferring political passion--and financial support-- from one candidate to another--particularly in this most unique of cases--were not only evident, but acknowledged at length in remarks by Clinton and Obama.

by Andrew Zajac

Hillary Clinton biographer Gail Sheehy weighs in with a fascinating post-mortem on the New York senator's just-concluded presidential campaign in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair.

According to Sheehy, fierce infighting among the Clinton inner circle "team of rivals" -- Harold Ickes, Mark Penn, Patty Solis Doyle, Mandy Grunwald and Howard Wolfson, left the campaign unable to recover from blunders, like woefully underestimating Barack Obama and dithering about competing aggressively in the Iowa caucuses.

Nor could the campaign reign in Bill Clinton, whom Sheehy portrays as an imperial figure carrying on as though the presidency for his wife was a family birthright.

In the end, the combination of Obama's unexpectedly impressive performance and the new Democratic establishment's wariness and weariness of the Clintons helped prevent the expected rescue of the campaign by the party's superdelegates.

Read Sheehy's entire take on the campaign here.

by Andrew Zajac

Part of the process of reconciliation between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton requires the Illinois senator to schmooze and stroke Clinton's big donors.

Obama began the process last week with a meeting of Clinton's national finance committee.

One of the challenges this poses for Obama, whose campaign champions change in Washington, is how he will deal with some of the decidedly old school aspects of Clinton's fundraising wherein the candidate did not worry unduly about exactly where the money came from or what scrapes the donors may have been involved in.

Donors like Sant Chatwal, who has waged lengthy battles with tax collectors, bankruptcy court and government regulators, while maintaining his status as a key campaign bundler and door-opener among Indian-Americans for first Bill Clinton and later Hillary Clinton.

Chatwal also helped arrange one of Bill Clinton's bigger post-presidential paydays, serving as the go-between for Clinton and a London charity which wound up paying him $450,000 for an appearance at a 2006 fundraiser. That was nearly one third of the fundraiser's revenue and $170,000 more than Clinton charged for ordinary overseas for-profit appearances.

Now Chatwal is warming up to Obama.

by Jill Zuckman

In the hours before Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton come together in the small hippie town of Unity, N.H., the McCain campaign is calling into Obama's bipartisan credentials - again.

During a conference call with former Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.), he argued that Americans are less interested in unity among Democrats and more interested in efforts to work across party lines to solve challenges on energy, the environment and the war in Iraq.

"The only real demonstration of his willingness to change is his change in position," Bass said about Obama's decision not to take public financing for his campaign.

McCain, on the other hand, Bass said, has a record of confronting issues head on with lawmakers from both parties.

"Sen. McCain from the very first day he stepped foot in the US Senate, he's been an independent voice for change," Bass said.

Bass, who is a volunteer for McCain's campaign, criticized Obama for being "scripted," and for turning down McCain's call for joint town hall meetings. He said the McCain campaign would soon release a list of Democrats and Independents in New Hampshire who support McCain - and not Obama.

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign released a statement earlier today about Obama's work with Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who had just held another conference call on McCain's behalf.

"Their work stands as an important reminder that even in this era of increased partisan rancor, Democrats and Republicans can work together to tackle the critical challenges that all Americans agree must be met," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

by Katie Fretland

Need a hotel room in Denver?

TMZ.com reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign had booked hundreds of hotel rooms in August for the Democratic National Convention, but now that she's out of the race, there won't be much partying.

The report, called to our attention by Top of the Ticket , says the campaign has sent e-mails to politicos, charities and supporters trying to make sure the rooms don't end up adding to the $20 million-plus debt.

See the story in Top of the Ticket, the L.A. Times political blog.

UPDATE: Jin Chon at the Clinton campaign said the TMZ.com report is incorrect and they will be using their full block.

by Matthew Hay Brown

After a primrary season divided between two of their colleagues, the Democratic women of the Senate rallied together behind a 10-item Checklist for Change they said they would pursue through the rest of the election season.

"This is a way to show that whether you were for Hillary or whether you were for Barack, that we've come together," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who was a national co-chairwoman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. "It's all part of our momentum for the campaign."

Mikulski and fellow Clinton supporters Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray of Washington, Dianne Feinstein of California, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan now will be working to woo women, seen as a key segment of the electorate, on behalf of Barack Obama.

Joined by Obama supporters Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri, and Barbara Boxer of California, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who remained neutral during the primary campaign, they unveiled a to-do list that included providing equal pay for equal work, keeping jobs in America, making healthcare affordable and taking care of military families and veterans.

"We've looked at the macro issues," Mikulski said. "But also, it's our special task to look at the macaroni-and-cheese issues - the issues that affect American families."

by Frank James

Did we in the media torpedo Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign through our allegedly rampant sexism?

That's the question at the heart of a lengthy story this morning in the New York Times about criticism of the media for being sexist towards the first woman to have a serious chance to win a presidential nomination.

The article doesn't so much to seek to answer the question as air it. Many Clinton supporters are reportedly blaming sexism in the media for some or most of Clinton's troubles.

The view that we in the media may have cost Clinton the nomination is captured in this snippet from the story:

For many of Mrs. Clinton's supporters, the anger over her treatment has not subsided and they are trying to take steps to minimize sexism in the future. "It's volcanic," said Allida M. Black, the director of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers at George Washington University and a founder of WomenCount PAC, a group that ran full-page newspaper advertisements last month urging Mrs. Clinton to stay in the race.

"How do we deal with the media who many, many people feel compounded the missteps by the campaign and robbed her of any shot she might have had at the nomination?" Ms. Black said.

Most of the well-known (to media-types at least) journalists were quoted as saying the media didn't sabotage Clinton's efforts through sexism or that, at the very least, it's difficult to tease out whether negative coverage was driven more by other factors than Clinton's womanhood.

Notably Katie Couric, the CBS News anchor, isn't one of them. She thinks the Clinton coverage was imbued to greater or lesser degrees with sexism. A lot of people will probably conclude she's projecting her own feelings about her treatment at CBS onto the Clinton coverage, but that's another story.

By Naftali Bendavid

To the various and sundry gaps John McCain must confront this fall--the fundraising gap, the excitement gap, the party approval gap--add one more: the surrogate gap.

Assuming the Clintons recover from their primary battle wounds and campaign hard for Barack Obama, which seems likely, the Democratic candidate could have quite a stable of stars to campaign for him around the country, augmenting his own demonstrated ability to draw a crowd. Consider, just for starters:

= Hillary Clinton herself. She has an impassioned following among working-class voters, women and the elderly. She inspired millions by almost becoming the first woman nominee of a major party. Her supporters remain disappointed by her loss to Obama, but if she campaigns in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania, she could generate significant excitement on Obama's behalf.

Andrew Zajac

The booze highlight of this campaign season was supposed to have been Hillary Clinton's Crown Royal and a beer in Crown Point, Indiana in April.

But the clear spirits people -- the young, upscale demographic in this bottle battle -- aren't conceding the election to the boat gas crowd.

Svedka, a mid-brow Swedish vodka seeking to "put the party back in party politics" has offered Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain a free supply of the product between now and November 4.

Svedka made the offer in a full-page ad (above) in Monday's NYT wrapped around a thank-you from "Svedka_Grl" to Clinton for "making this election so exciting."

It's all part of Svedka's "Put a Fembot in the White House" promotion, which is more fully explained...Uh, never mind.

With that mechanical dominatrix look -- Astro Boy meets Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS -- Svedka_Grl makes for a risque marketing campaign.

Probably shouldn't hold our breaths waiting for the campaigns' responses to her generous offer. Though "Swedish vodka" would make for an interesting entry under in-kind contributions on the candidates' expense reports.

by James Oliphant

You could feel the ache Saturday at the National Building Museum in Washington.

You could see on the faces and in the eyes of Hillary Clinton's supporters.

What was the look? Was it a familiar disappointment, a feeling that again something has been snatched away by larger forces, by the same shadowy obstacles that had limited their own lives?

They clapped and cried and didn't want to end. Neither did Clinton, who after making a gracious concession speech, stayed and shook hands and talked. She wasn't running for anything any longer, except perhaps vice president. But she doesn't get to decide that one and neither do her supporters.

People posed together in pictures, daughters were held aloft. It's rare when history is made in defeat, but there was a sense Saturday that her acolytes wanted to soak in the moment, enjoy while it lasted, even as they felt the curtain coming down with each sentence she delivered.

And then when it was finally over, many felt devastated--even still angry and defiant. In their minds, Clinton had received a raw deal, from the media, from the Democratic Party, and from Barack Obama, who they said had patronized her. They complained about Clinton being asked at one debate about whether she was likable--and about the DNC's decision a week ago to award Obama delegates from Michigan when he wasn't on the ballot.

It wasn't so much that the dream had perished as much as it had been denied--or stolen.

by Jill Zuckman

Now that the coast is clear and Sen. Hillary Clinton is out of the race for the Democratic nomination for president, the last membere of the House Democratic leadership team has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a statement that he is proud to formally endorse Obama. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel have already endorsed Obama.

"Sen. Obama will be our next president because his appeal to our best selves and his determination to lead our nation in a new direction have resonated with voters across the nation and across the political spectrum," Hoyer said. "American will choose him for the quality of his ideas for our future and for his ability to lead and inspire."

Here is the full statement:

"I am proud to formally endorse Barack Obama today for the presidency of the United States.

America saw a striking contrast between the candidates for President this past Tuesday night. One candidate offered a warmed-over selection of Bush policies to a listless audience and a scattering of applause. Another stood in the midst of thousands of cheering citizens, calling on us to "remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals." It is clear which one of those two men will be our next president - Barack Obama - and I am very pleased and proud that he will be our Democratic standard-bearer in November."

by James Oliphant

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who once worked in the Clinton White House but who this week endorsed Barack Obama, released a statement Saturday after Hillary Clinton conceded the presidential nomination.

"Hillary Clinton has been my friend for 16 years. My heart is with her and her remarkable family today.," Emanuel said "Although she fell short in the delegate race, her campaign was successful in the larger sense. She took issues that dominate the dinner table and put them on center stage. Because of Hillary we are closer to the day when every family has a family doctor; every working person has a good job, and every girl and boy can dare to dream."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also released a statement praising Clinton, saying, "Her vitality and energy on the campaign trail as well as her passion and commitment to the issues secured her place as a respected and thoughtful leader of our nation. Her candidacy inspired millions and unleashed the power of women as they voted in record numbers at the ballot box. As a tireless champion of working families, her leadership in our party and in the Senate will be needed as we work on critical issues -- such as health care -- in the months and years to come."

by James Oliphant

Here is the full text of the speech Hillary Clinton gave in Washington today, in which she ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Barack Obama:

"Thank you so much. Thank you all.

Well, this isn't exactly the party I'd planned, but I sure like the company.

I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you - to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked and sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors, who emailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, "See, you can be anything you want to be."

by James Oliphant

She came. They wept. She conceded.

The medicine did not go down easy.

More than 2,000 of Hillary Clinton's supporters showed up at the cavernous National Building Museum in Washington today to watch the senator deliver the address they had to have been dreading for months, even as they wanted to fervently believe it would not happen.

Clinton announced she was quitting her campaign and she threw her full support behind presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Her pronouncement was greeted with a mixture of cheers and shouts of disappointment.

The event had been billed as a coming together of the Clinton and Obama camps, but there were few Obama supporters to be found.

One die-hard Clinton supporter, Jan Mundo, who rode down in a bus from New York with 50 others Saturday, said she would vote for Obama, but only because that was Clinton's directive.

"We'll do what she wants," Mundo said. "She's asked us to do this for her."

She said that "many of us remain suspicious of how the election was won."