Clinton returns to Senate, promises to support Obama

Hillary Clinton returned to work Tuesday with the same confident smile and spirit that marked her historic presidential campaign, promising to dive back into her Senate duties and rally behind her former rival.

Three weeks after suspending her 18-month campaign, the New York senator strode through a pre-arranged crowd of about 125 interns joined by tourists, reporters and photographers to enter the rarely used East door on the Senate side of the Capitol. She attended a weekly Democratic caucus and left after offering brief remarks to reporters.

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

Clinton said she reassured her colleagues about “my commitment to working on behalf of the issues and values that we all care about.” She also pledged her support to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the party’s presidential candidate, while speaking with reporters.

“I come back with an even greater depth of awareness about what we have to do here in Washington,” she said. “So many of the concerns that people expressed to me during the course of this campaign are ones that they can’t individually solve … We need a national commitment.”

Clinton had attended only a handful of Senate votes this year during the primary, and Tuesday marked her first appearance since she formally conceded the race on June 7.

The former first lady’s return brought the Capitol to a brief standstill, with pomp and media more suited to a visit from a head of state.

“It’s funny. It’s amazing. That’s all you can say. It’s just amazing,” said Sen. John Ensign (Nev.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

A fair amount of the fanfare was pre-arranged, with Clinton’s Senate supporters scrounging up much of the crowd to give her an impressive welcome before news cameras. The former first lady handled the student-age crowd outside the Senate like a rope line, walking up the building’s steps in bright sunlight, thanking people individually and asking what state they were from.

Clinton timed her visit to coincide with the weekly Democratic lunch caucus. She was greeted warmly inside by Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), all of whom had endorsed her over Obama.

“We need your voice,” Mikulski said loudly.

Clinton posed for pictures with Stabenow’s family and hugged each of the senators before entering the policy lunch. She received two standing ovations — before and after she spoke for about two minutes to call for unity and pledge her support for Obama.

Clinton mentioned Obama multiple times during her remarks and sat between Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) during the lunch, senators said. There were no questions asked of her, nor did any other senator offer a public statement.

“It seemed like based on what she said that she was very happy to be just a senator,” said Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called the lunch “one of the most emotional caucuses I’ve attended,” and saluted Clinton as a personal friend.

“There’s no one that has done more to move the country forward,” he said of Clinton.

Clinton said she is making a “symbolic” campaign trip to  Unity, N.H., with Obama on Friday, but otherwise indicated that she is focusing on her Senate duties.

“I am rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work,” she said. “My role is to be the very best senator I can be, and to represent the greatest state in our country … I am not seeking any other position. It is not something I think about. This is totally Sen. Obama’s decision, and that’s the way it should be.”

Clinton did return fire from Republican presidential contender Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has moved to court Clinton supporters dissatisfied with Obama.

“Anyone who voted for me has very little in common with the Republican Party,” Clinton said. “If you care about the issues I care about, and the future I outlined in my campaign, then you really have to stay with us in the Democratic Party and vote for Sen. Obama to be our next president.”

Clinton’s closest Senate colleagues, such as Bayh and Dianne Feinstein (D) of California, said Clinton is as resilient privately as she is publicly, although the campaign was a tough one.

“It’s hard to lose,” said Feinstein. “I’ve done it, and I know firsthand. But you pick up and you go on.”

Manu Raju contributed to this article.