Daytime TV Goddess Oprah Winfrey may be touring the early primary states this weekend with her chosen candidate, Barack Obama, but Hillary Clinton campaigned on Friday with a woman who’s supported her since birth — her mother, Dorothy Rodham.

Senator Clinton said her mom’s been following the campaign closely on TV — and told the story of the last time her mother had been in Iowa, some 53 years ago when they stayed at a place called the Tall Corn Motel. Hillary recalled that a waitress had recommended it for its swimming pool, saying “we said, my brother and I, said that’s where we want to stay.” Turns out, the pool wasn’t quite olympic sized.

“It was about as big as this stage,” she said. “We thought we’d died and gone to heaven. We thought it was the greatest experience ever.”

Hillary said her mom had asked to join her daughter in the Hawkeye state, but of course, the timing has some strategic advantages as well. Obama is surging among women here, and Oprah’s visit certainly won’t help matters. Showing some mother-daughter bonding might help Hillary’s cause in that key demographic.