The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is using the newfound unity between the Democrats’ top two presidential contenders to raise money.

In an e-mail solicitation circulated Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the presumptive Democratic nominee, invokes the name of his vanquished rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), to ask for contributions to the DCCC.

“Hillary Clinton was very gracious in offering her support to my campaign over the weekend,” Obama writes. “I admire her and her supporters for their hard work, courage and tenacity. And I’m grateful for everything they’ve done to build our party.”

He goes on to describe all the energy in the party and heaps praise on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who, he said, “should make all Democrats proud.”

“I’m committed to doing everything I can to elect Democratic candidates up and down the ballot,” Obama writes. “When we work together, we won’t just win the White House — we’ll remake the electoral map and create a governing majority that will transform this country.”

— Josh Kurtz