Just six weeks after reluctantly surrendering to Barack Obama in the brutal 2008 Democratic primary race, Sen. Hillary Clinton has begun raising money for what she says is her 2012 New York Senate reelection campaign.

Clinton still faces about $20 million in debts from her unsuccessful presidential effort this year. As part of a so-called “unity drive,” Obama has appealed to his supporters in recent weeks to give to Clinton to cover the costs that she incurred while raking him over the coals in a bare-knuckled bid to return to the White House. Some Obama backers have balked.

Ain’t politics great?  You can owe everyone in town a buck or two and still try to raise money for an election 4 years away.  This should start the salivating of Clintonistas.