Hillary Clinton returned to Capitol Hill for Day Two of her Back to Work extravaganza — this time meeting with House Democrats about the need to win in November and her support for Barack Obama.

Sources inside the meeting tell Fox producer Chad Pergram that Clinton got rousing support applause and good support from lawmakers who’d supported her one-time rival. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) told Fox that Clinton said it was good to be back in Congress as just “another superdelegate.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Clinton “the most respected political figure in America” after her White House run, saying “because of her campaign, the Democratic party is much more energized, much more prepared to win in November and much better prepared to govern in January.”

Clinton reaffirmed her commitment to working to elect Obama in November. “This election is a make or break election. And I’m doing what I can to make sure that Senator Obama is sworn-in as the next President of the United States here in this Capitol,” she said. “I’m excited about getting back to work here in the Congress and campaigning with Senator Obama on Friday.”

“It’s been a long, long period with President Bush and Vice President Cheny. And that will be ending.”

After speaking with Hillary Clinton on sunday and again today, Barack Obama told top donors on a conference call today to help his primary rival retire her campaign debt, the campaign confirms.

The New York Senator owes north of $10 million to vendors - nearly half of which is owed to former chief strategist and campaign scapegoat Mark Penn. She lent herself more than $12 million on top of that, which she’s said she doesn’t expect to get back.

Clinton will introduce Obama to some of her big fundraisers in Washington on Thursday at the Mayflower Hotel, and will appear in public with the nominee in Unity, NH on Friday.

UPDATE: Clinton’s campaign says “Senator Clinton appreciates Senator Obama’s generous efforts and is continuing her efforts to raise the monies he needs to ensure a victory in November.”

And Clinton emailed a direct appeal to supporters asking to help out with her debt, saying “As you know, I had to loan money to my campaign at critical moments. I’m not asking for anyone’s help to pay that back. That was my investment and my commitment because I believe so deeply in our cause. But I do need your help paying the debts we accrued to others over the course of this campaign.”

Read the rest of the email after the break.

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Barack Obama says Charlie Black was wrong to say that a terrorist attack would help John McCain in November; that he spoke to Hillary Clinton today and is trying to reach out to her husband; and that Christian leader James Dobson distorted his words on religion in a wide ranging media availability in the back of his press plane.

Obama wandered back to speak to reporters in the middle of a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for an informal bull session with reporters — a tactic encouraged by his campaign as a way to counter an aloof image he’s cultivated with his traveling press corps. But after asking about basketball, gambling, and the trinkets from voters he carries with him, reporters pressed him on the record on whether he’s spoken with the ex-president who so often belittled him on the campaign trail.

“I’m sure we will,” said Obama. “He’s in Europe right now which is the only reason we haven’t spoken. But were looking forward to setting up a long conversation.” Obama praised the former president as a great strategist who’s “as smart as they come.” But Clinton’s commitment to campaigning for Obama has come into question, so much so that a spokesman for the ex-president had to release a statement reaffirming his support for the Illinois Senator.

Obama also accused Focus on the Family leader James Dobson of twisting a speech on religion he gave in 2006. On his radio program today, Dobson took aim at Obama’s argument that certain Biblical passages shouldn’t be taken as guides for public policy — saying “I think he’s deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology… He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.”

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After more than two weeks off, Senator Clinton came back to her day job today — arriving on Capitol Hill to the cheers of some 50 interns and the hounding questions of the political press corps. She welcomed the applause but ignored the questions, turning to wave as she entered the building.

Clinton missed an early vote on housing, showing up in time for the Democrats’ weekly strategy session. She emerged to talk to reporters staking out the meeting outside the LBJ room, saying “I am rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work.”

“To my friends here in the leadership in the caucus and all of our colleagues I expressed my appreciation for the work that is done here in the Senate every single day and my commitment to working on behalf of the issues and values that we all stand for,” she said.

“It’s going to be up to the Democratic Party and particularly the Democratic Senate to make progress on everything from healthcare and the economy to ending the war in Iraq and I look forward to being back with this great team that we have here doing everything I can to make that happen.”

On her presidential bid, Clinton said “It was such an honor and a privilege for me to spend the last eighteen months as I did going across our country and having a chance to immerse myself in the extraordinary resilience and resourcefulness that is the American people. And I come back with an even greater depth of awareness about what we have to do here in Washington.”

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Hillary Clinton has taken to the internet to ask supporters to help with the more than $22.5 million in unpaid campaign debts — $12 million of which is owed to the candidate herself. Clinton has indicated she’ll write her own loans to the campaign, leaving almost $10 million that the cash-strapped campaign needs to make good on (not to mention whatever debts she incurred in June).

With no indication that the Obama campaign is willing to assist with that debt (much to the frustration of some Clinton backers), the New York Senator issued a web video to solicit online donations from previous contributors. While she never actually asks for money (using her long-standing euphemism of asking them to visit her website, which is chock-full of “contribute” buttons), a text box next to the video makes a more direct appeal.

“You and Hillary can write the next chapter of America’s history together,” it reads. “By helping us pay off our campaign debt, you’re not just helping Hillary elect a Democratic president and grow our majority in Congress. You’re making it possible for her to work as hard as she can on the issues we care about.”

Read the transcript of her remarks after the jump.

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The Obama campaign just announced the location for Friday’s much-anticipated joint public appearance of erstwhile Democratic primary opponents Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — the sleepy little town of Unity, New Hampshire.

It’s not just the name that’s fitting; the town split down the middle in it’s Democratic presidential preference, casting exactly 107 votes for Obama and 107 for Hillary Clinton on January 8th.

The two candidates are set to hit another location yet to be determined on Friday — one day after holding a closed fundraiser together in Washington. As one Clinton campaign staffer said about the two rivals hitting the campaign trail, it’s “all in the name of unity…. Literally!”

UPDATE: Obama mentioned Clinton in his remarks to women workers in New Mexico today, praising her and saying he looks forward to working with her on issues important to women and to American families. Check out the video below.

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CHICAGO–

John McCain held a fundraiser at the posh Drake hotel this evening. The guests sipped beer, wine, and soda, but there were no hors d’oeuvres or snacks. He spoke for a brief thirteen minutes, but that included a jab at Barack Obama that was in his earlier prepared remarks e-mailed to the press, but that he omitted when delivering his energy speech this afternoon, “We have to go to wind and solar and tide and. . .we have to go to nuclear power. My opponent–Senator Obama said I am not a proponent of nuclear power well I don’t know exactly what that means but I am a proponent of nuclear power, my friends. “

He accused his Democratic rival of wanting to raise taxes, “Senator Obama wants to raise your taxes. I want to lower them. I want to keep them low. I do not believe you can raise taxes in economic hard times or any other time for that matter and not expect to pay a price. “ He also went after Obama for not supporting the troop surge in Iraq and not meeting with General Petraeus. The crowd of donors clapped at each jab to the presumptive Democratic nominee.

According to the McCain campaign website, donors who contributed $100, 000 were invited to a “Leadership Reception, along with the main reception,” while those who contributed $25,000 were invited to a “Finance Committee Reception, along with the main reception.” For $10,000 donors got a “photo opportunity” with the presumptive Republican nominee while tickets to the regular reception were $2,300 per person.

The fundraiser’s host, Bill Strong introduced McCain and joked about Chicago, “I think it is the hometown of your direct competitor.” Strong is the Vice-President of Morgan Stanley in Chicago and isn’t new to donating to political campaigns–oddly enough, according to FEC reports, he has previously donated both to Hillary Clinton and Fred Thompson’s campaigns.

The campaign did not immediately know how much money was raised this evening.

After 16 months as a presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton will hang up her stumping shoes today in Washington — where she’ll throw her support behind her long-time Democratic rival, Barack Obama

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee says Hillary Clinton’s final campaign remarks will focus her speech on unifying the party. “She’s going to make it very clear she’s supporting Senator Obama, and urge her supporters to do the same,” he said. She’ll also talk about the high stakes in this election, stressing the need for party unity to elect a Democrat.

A senior Clinton aide says bringing disgruntled supporters along with her to support Obama is crucial in the immediate aftermath of her defeat — noting that the bitterness engendered by a tough primary fight needs to be put to bed quickly so the party can get behind Obama. Exit polling showed Clinton supporters to be far less likely to support Obama should he be the nominee, and some websites have sprung up urging her voters to  support McCain in the Fall.

The Clinton aide also insists that the criticism of her final election day speech on Tuesday — which some said sounded like a victory address, even though Obama wrapped up the delegates needed to win the nomination — is just beltway chatter. He argues that the millions of Clinton supporters would never have accepted her ending the campaign so abruptly, and that they needed to be brought along slowly to ensure they remain loyal to the Democratic party in November.

But it’s not all about coming together; Clinton is expected to reflect on all that her campaign accomplished and the history that was made — particularly on behalf of women, who supported her in record numbers.

As for what’s next, the New York Senator will hold a private reception after the event for big donors, then return to her house in Georgetown before flying to her home in Chappaqua, NY with her family.

New York–Members of New York’s Congressional Delegation and other local politicians stood on the steps of City Hall today to endorse Senator Barack Obama, much like they did yesterday in Washington D.C.

They said that they back Senator Clinton’s decision to suspend her campaign and are putting their full support behind Obama. U.S. Representative Yvette Clark was just one of the members who thanked Clinton and expressed their complete support for the presumptive nominee, “We have accepted and we are totally in agreement with what Hillary Clinton has to say in her concession tomorrow and that means all of us must roll up our sleeves starting each and every moment of each and every day to do everything that we can to make sure he is the next President of the United States. I’m proud to be here.”

At times the delegation broke out into chants of, “Si se puede!” and “Yes we can!” One member even quipped, “Yes we did!”

The politicians pressed that they were all unified now that there was one Democratic candidate, but New York State Minority Leader Malcolm Smith who originally endorsed Obama said the delegation was never divided even though some backed the eventual Democratic victor, “The bottom line was we were never split we were smart.”

Even with all the expressions of party unity there was some disagreement when I asked if members of the delegation would persuade Obama to put Clinton on his ticket. U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks said the decision was up to Obama, but Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said there is nothing wrong with expressing their support for Clinton as a potential Vice-Presidential candidate, “We have a right as Clinton supporters to also put forth her name as a Vice-Presidential candidate. She would add strength to the ticket. It’s not our decision but boy I can imagine a ticket like that. Look out! I don’t think there is anything wrong with articulating for our senator like other states will articulate for their governors or senator.”

The politicians also went after Obama’s rival for the White House, Senator John McCain. The always-colorful Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz told America the choice is now theirs to make:

New York State and New York City. You either want a health care system that works for all of us or none at all.” Markowitz continued, “Either you want this war going on in Iraq or end it on reasonable terms. You either want to restore respect in the world in America again or you continue to want the world to look at America with anything other than positive feelings. All this Barack Obama promises for all of us and this is a country of rich and poor, of moderate and middle income, of every color, of every religion of every nationality. Barack Obama represents the best of all of us and he is the one that can bring it about.”

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Hillary Clinton welcomed her entire campaign staff to a party at her home in Georgetown today, hosting about 500 people in the back yard by the swimming pool. All morning, workers brought tables, food, and bags of ice through the side gate, assisted by Secret Service agents. Valets helped park cars to keep them off the quiet one-way street.

Guests began arriving at 2pm. Dressed in khakis and a white blouse, Hillary Clinton greeted them in the back, mingling and saying her thank you’s along with her husband. Chelsea was there for the kick-off, but left with two staff members to thank Clinton supporters in Texas at the state’s Democratic convention tonight.

National campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe stopped by to say hi to reporters staked out outside the house, saying Hillary’s feeling great since she got off the trail. As for what’s next? “She will do anything she can to help Barack Obama,” he said. “If he wants her to travel every day, she’ll do that.”

McAuliffe wouldn’t discuss the meeting between Clinton and Barack Obama last night, but did say tomorrow’s address at the National Building Museum would be “a great speech, it will be pumped up” — and while focusing on Party unity, she would be zeroing in on issues like health care and education.

“This was never about Hillary Clinton,” he said. “This was about the issues that matter to her.”