Take Me To Post Comment Form Hillary Clinton hopes to heal her supporters' wounds and bring about party unity this weekend when she officially ends her historic bid for the White House and endorses Barack Obama.

The New York senator will thank supporters at an event in Washington, D.C. Saturday at which time she will formally extend her congratulations to Obama, who locked up the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday.

“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, Clinton said in an e-mail sent to supporters Thursday 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.

Hoping to calm some of her most rabid backers who have threatened to vote for Republican John McCain in the fall, Clinton said she wants to “rally the party behind Senator Obama because the stakes “are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.

The senator added she plans to carry on with her “lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world and will continue to seek “the support, the strength and the commitment of the nearly 18 million supporters she said would always be close to her heart.

“Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you, Clinton said. “I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.