Hillary Clinton will declare her strong support for Barack Obama?s White House bid and rally supporters around him, she said in a letter yesterday, drawing the curtain on a grueling 16-month nominating fight that badly split the Democratic Party.

Clinton will publicly back Obama tomorrow and pledge to work for party unity in the general-election race against Republican John McCain. ?On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy,? the New York senator and former first lady said in a letter to her backers released early yesterday morning. ?I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party?s nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.?

?What needs to be done in November?

Clinton confirmed she would hold an event in Washington tomorrow to thank everyone who had backed her campaign. The event was originally planned for today but the day was switched to allow more supporters to attend. ?This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans,? she said in the letter. ?I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.?

Clinton has not decided whether to officially close the campaign or suspend it, allowing her to keep control of her delegates to the nominating convention, aides said. Clinton spent much of Wednesday talking to supporters, many of whom urged her to halt her bid now that Obama has clinched the nomination.

Obama attended two fund-raising events in New York City on the day before and acknowledged her decision. ?Your junior senator from New York engaged in an extraordinary campaign,? he told attendees at one fund-raiser. ?Now that the interfamily squabble is done, all of us can focus on what needs to be done in November.?

Obama, the first black candidate to lead a major US party into a White House race, announced a three-member team to head his search for a running mate as he began the task of unifying the party the day after clinching the nomination.

McCain proposed that Obama join him for a series of joint summer town-hall meetings across the country. Obama?s campaign manager called the idea ?appealing? but proposed format changes and made no immediate commitment.

POSSIBLE US REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Republican Arizona Senator John McCain, who has clinched his party?s nomination for the November presidential election, must also choose a running mate.

Following is a list of Republicans who have been mentioned as possible vice presidential candidates, in alphabetical order:

● Charlie Crist, 51 ? The Florida governor helped McCain win the nomination with his endorsement and might help him in an important battleground state that could go either Republican or Democratic in the November election.

● Mike Huckabee, 52 ? The former Arkansas governor battled McCain for the party?s presidential nomination and was the last major candidate to withdraw. The Baptist preacher is a social conservative who has support from the party?s evangelical Christian base and is strong in the South.

● Bobby Jindal, 36 ? Louisiana?s governor and the first Indian-American elected head of a US state. The Oxford-educated conservative would add youth and diversity to the Republican ticket. His domestic health policy experience would be a plus, but he might be seen as being too young, especially in contrast to 71-year-old McCain.

● Tim Pawlenty, 47 ? The two-term Minnesota governor and early and steadfast McCain supporter could help with a Midwestern battleground state. Pawlenty would appeal to social conservatives but he is not well-known on the national stage.

● Robert Portman, 52 ?- A former congressman from Ohio who was the US Trade Representative and budget director under President George W. Bush. Portman could give McCain needed economic policy strength and would help in Ohio ? an important battleground state.

● l Mitt Romney, 61 ? The former Massachusetts governor lost the nomination to McCain.The businessman, who pumped about $35 million of his own fortune into his presidential bid, could do the same for a vice presidential campaign or help McCain with fund-raising.

● John Thune, 47 ? The senator from South Dakota would appeal to conservatives but McCain may not want to choose another senator as his running mate. After narrowly defeating the leader of the US Senate Democrats, Tom Daschle, in 2004, Thune was seen as a giant killer, which gained him clout in the party. However he is also not very well-known nationally.

POSSIBLE US DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Barack Obama turned his focus to the five-month general election fight for the White House and announced a three-member team to head his search for a running mate.

Here is a list of some possible Democratic vice presidential candidates, in alphabetical order:

> Hillary Clinton, 60 ? Polls have shown strong Democratic support for a «dream team» ticket of Obama and Clinton, his top rival for the nomination. Obama has not ruled out the option, which would help unify the party after a grueling nominating battle. But the New York senator and former first lady also would bring complications, including the return of former President Bill Clinton to the White House. A joint ticket could help attract some of Clinton?s supporters ? including women and white working-class Democrats ? who have been reluctant to support Obama.

> Joseph Biden, 65 ? The senator from Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is a respected foreign policy expert who would give Obama authority on the issue.

> Wesley Clark, 63 ? A retired Army general and former NATO commander who ran unsuccessfully for the presidential nomination in 2004, Clark is a supporter of Hillary Clinton who could help rally the party and provide a boost on national security issues.

> Chris Dodd, 64 ? The Connecticut senator, a fluent Spanish speaker and expert in Latin American issues, is the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and a former foe for the

presidential nomination who quickly endorsed Obama after dropping out. He would help bolster Obama?s foreign policy and economic credentials.

> Chuck Hagel, 61 ? The Republican senator from Nebraska, a conservative Vietnam veteran but outspoken critic of the Iraq war, would help Obama reach out to independents and Republicans and reinforce his promise to bridge partisan divides.

> Tim Kaine, 50 ? The Virginia governor was one of Obama?s earliest and strongest supporters and could help him in a state that traditionally has been Republican in presidential elections but has been turning Democratic in recent years.

> Sam Nunn, 69 ? The former Armed Services Committee chairman from Georgia is a respected foreign and military policy voice, but his age and conservative view on some social issues might make him an awkward fit with Obama.

> Ed Rendell, 64 ? The Pennsylvania governor has been one of Clinton?s strongest campaigners and could help woo her supporters and help deliver a key state. A former district attorney and mayor of Philadelphia, Rendell has executive experience that could help Obama.

> Bill Richardson, 60 ? The New Mexico governor, a Hispanic, could help with the Latino vote ? the fastest-growing segment of the electorate and a potentially vital voting bloc.

> Kathleen Sebelius, 60 ? The two-term governor of Kansas could bring some vital elements to the ticket: she?s a woman and as the leader of a mostly Republican state has shown she can work across party lines.

> Ted Strickland, 66 ? The governor of Ohio is another strong Clinton supporter who comes from a battleground state.

> Jim Webb, 62 ? The first-term Virginia senator, Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy has written seven novels, including ?Fields of Fire?, considered one of the best novels about the Vietnam War. Webb could help Obama in a state that has turned more Democratic in recent years.