Bill Clinton set for first joint event with Obama

LAS VEGAS: Former president Bill Clinton will make his first campaign trail appearance with Barack Obama in the crucial swing state of Florida next Wednesday, the Democratic nominee's campaign said.

Clinton had a testy relationship with Obama's camp during his wife Hillary Clinton's bid for the party nomination earlier in the year but will make his debut beside the Democratic nominee just six days before the election.

The former president delivered a strong endorsement of Obama's readiness to be president at the Democratic National Convention in August and the former first lady has now done more than 50 campaign events for her ex-rival.

Bill Clinton will appear alongside Obama in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Orlando lies along the dividing line between the conservative north and the liberal south of the key state which most polls show is a toss-up 10 days before the election, with a slight edge towards Obama over Republican John McCain.

Bill Clinton is the sole Democratic presidential candidate to win Florida in 30 years -- in his 1996 reelection campaign -- and he and his wife are still wildly popular in the state.

Democrats still fume at the 2000 vote recount debacle in the state, which ended up in a US Supreme Court judgement which ended with George W. Bush being installed as president.