Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has asked his finance team to help Hillary Clinton pay off $10 million in debt incurred during her campaign against him.

The Illinois senator's request Tuesday sets the stage for a meeting with his former rival on Thursday, when Senator Clinton will introduce Obama to her top fundraisers.

Obama and Clinton are scheduled Friday to campaign together for the first time.  Clinton suspended her bid for the party's nomination earlier this month after a long and divisive fight.  She reported more than $22 million in debt at the end of May.

Also Tuesday, Obama tapped two key fundraising sources, days after opting out of using public funds for his general election campaign against the presumed Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.

Obama attended a gala with Hollywood celebrities in Los Angeles, California and also appealed for small donations from his Internet base of supporters.

Candidates who take the $84 million in public funding cannot raise money from donors, but those who forgo public funding are free to raise an unlimited amount of private funds.

McCain campaigns in Las Vegas, in the western state of Nevada Wednesday to address energy issues for a second straight day.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.