Pool Report from Billings, Montana

Pool report from house watching party Billings, Montana

Obama after Clinton spoke: "That was excellent, that was a strong speech. She made the case for why we're going to be unified in November and why we're going to win this election. I thought she was outstanding.

His fuller reax to clinton begins graf 4 below.

8:15 pm local time (MT)

Sen. Barack Obama arrived at the home of Eran Thompson, one of his local field organizers, and wife Carlee who were hosting a convention watching party with about a dozen friends

He shook hands, made small talk and said he wants Montanans to know "we're not planning to take their guns away."

Obama grabbed a remote control to switch from MSNBC which had the camera on former President Clinton sitting in the Denver audience to CSPAN which was carrying Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer's speech live. Some weird record message came on the TV screen and someone else finished switching the channel.  Obama and the house guests laughed their way through much of the speech and smiled broadly when President Clinton followed Schweitzer's command to stand up and was laughing. That was great, that was good," Obama said of the Hillary Clinton video before she came out.

Obama was sitting at the edge of the crowded brown sectional sofa closest to the TV in thre family's small living room, leaning slightly forward, and as the video played he was watching intently with his hands folded together. "It's a nice moment," he said as Clinton came onstage. He also said Chelsea Clinton had "turned into such a wonderful young woman."

Clinton began speaking and when she said she was "a proud suporter of Barack Obama" he smiled and softly shouted "yay" then straightened his face again. He clapped when she said "no way, no how, no McCain."

Obama also smiled and laughed widely when she talked about her sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits. He noded solemnly as she explained why she is supporting Obama and sat silent when she asked her supporters whether the were just in it "for me" or for various needy groups in America. He nodded and clapped when she talked of him signing expanded health care and when she praised Michelle Obama. He nodded and said "Yeah" as she criticized McCain and as her speech neared the end he leaned increasingly closer to the TV set.

Motorcade departed the home 9:15 pm