Campaign officials said the joint appearance reflected an intention to engage the candidate's wife in the effort to combat allegations that he had a 12-year extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers, who now works for the state.

The accusations have been published in Star, a tabloid that says it paid Ms. Flowers for her account but declined to say how much.

Mr. Clinton has acknowledged knowing Ms. Flowers. She started working for the state last June as an administrative assistant at the Arkansas Board of Review, which hears appeals involving unemployment compensation. William D. Gaddy, director of the state's Employment Security Division, which provides administrative suport for the board, said an aide in Governor Clinton's office referred her to the board as part of a routine process.

Her supervisor, Randall Wright, said she was hired from a merit list because she was the best qualified. He said no one from the Governor's office contacted him about hiring her.

At a news conference in Savannah today, Mrs. Clinton said: "As with most married couples, we've had our good times and our bad times. We are more committed, more stable and more in love now because when the tough times came we didn't cut out. When people get to know us and talk to our friends in Arkansas, they won't give that story the time of day."