Obama Reaches Out To Clinton Voters

(CBS)

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) Barack Obama praised Hillary Clinton today, as he reached out to her core supporters: working women. While speaking at a small town hall meeting here geared towards women and the economy, Obama said, "Standing here today, I know that we have drawn closer to making this America a reality because of the extraordinary woman who I shared a stage with so many times throughout this campaign: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton."

Earlier today, the Obama campaign announced that the former rivals will campaign together on Friday at a rally in Unity, New Hampshire. Campaign aides noted that Obama and Clinton received 107 votes each in the town during the January primary.

Obama was introduced at today's town hall by Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D-N.M.), a former Clinton supporter, who has switched allegiances to Obama. She argued that Obama would make more progress on women's issues as president than John McCain would. "The media is making a lot of talk about angry white women, but they're right about one thing, we are angry," Denish said. "We haven't made any progress in the last eight years, and we might be angry, but we're smart too."

Obama vowed to the women in the audience that he will work hard on their behalf, and then pulled out two good luck charms that he has received on the campaign trail. He showed the audience an eagle pin that a Native American woman gave him and a poker chip he received from another voter. Obama said these charms and the stories that he has heard along the way keep him grounded. "You've got to work hard, you know. If you're asking them to vote for you, you better really be serious about it," he said.