US presidential hopeful Barack Obama was courting the Hispanic vote in New Mexico yesterday amid swirling rumours about his possible choice of running mate.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has also been touted as a possible vice-presidential pick for the youthful senator, said he was glad to see the Democratic Party leaving past rivalries behind.

”The point is, the party is united. We’re coming together,” Governor Richardson said yesterday. Senator Obama was ”doing everything” possible to bring all supporters of his former rival, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, into the fold.

The bitter 18-month presidential campaign has cost about $US1billion ($A1.16 billion), while promising history.

Now, a frenetic 212-month sprint for the finish looms, with the ultimate prize still within reach for both campaigns, and with both candidates still to announce whose name will be emblazoned on the ticket with them.

Republican candidate John McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, said, ”We are now entering one of the most intense political periods that we have ever seen.

”We are jamming in a lot of major events, the selection of each candidate’s vice president, their national conventions, the debates and election day, all in an almost 10-week period.”

The Illinois senator is throwing himself back into the crossfire after a week-long vacation in Hawaii.

He and his Arizona opponent met on Saturday, for the first time during this campaign, at a church forum in Lake Forest, California, to talk about religion, which plays an increasingly prominent role in US politics.

They greeted each other separately on stage but spoke separately, disagreed over abortion and spoke of their own moral failings, as each candidate sought to woo faith-based groups which mostly comprise right-of-centre voters.

Senator Obama expressed his support for legal abortions, but called for efforts to limit unwanted pregnancies, while Senator McCain said human rights begat from the ”moment of conception” and vowed to be a ”pro-life president”.

Asked to reflect on their shortcomings, Senator Obama said he had been guilty of ”fundamental selfishness” at times, and mentioned dabbling in drugs as a youth.

”I had a difficult youth,” he said. ”There were times when I experimented with drugs.”

Senator McCain cited his unsuccessful first marriage. ”My greatest moral failing and I have been a very imperfect person is the failure of my first marriage.”

Neither candidate gave an indication about his potential running mates but one possible pick for Senator McCain, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, ruled himself out of the race at the weekend.

A possible Obama choice, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, said he didn’t think it was likely he would be a vice-presidential candidate. AFP

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