Clinton-Obama Crossfire Continues
WASHINGTON (AP) - campaign_minute Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton argued on Tuesday that Barack Obama’s frustration with losing prompted him to look for a fight in their latest debate. Obama said his rival and her husband, former President Clinton, were distorting his record.
“I think it’s very clear that Senator Clinton … and the president have been spending the last month attacking me in ways that are not accurate,” Obama told reporters in a conference call shortly after she lashed out at him in a bitter exchange that carried over from Monday night’s debate.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Hillary Clinton belittled Obama’s line of debate criticism against her as “rehearsed points.”
“I think what we saw last night was that he’s very frustrated,” she said. “I believe that the events of the last 10 or so days, the outcome of New Hampshire and Nevada, have apparently convinced him to adopt a different strategy.”
Former President Clinton said Tuesday he enjoyed the bickering.
“I know you think it’s crazy, but I kind of like to see Barack and Hillary fight,” Bill Clinton told a mostly white crowd of about 300 at a black church in Greenville, S.C. “They’re flesh and blood people and they have their differences—let them have it.”
Asked whether he thought his legacy among blacks would be harmed by challenging Obama, Clinton said he wasn’t standing in Obama’s way but rather advocating for his wife.
“I think it would be just as much a change, some people think more, to have the first woman president than to have the first African-American president,” Bill Clinton said.
In the debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the two leading Democrats argued bitterly and in personal terms over issues such as Iraq and Bill Clinton’s role in the campaign.
“He clearly came last night looking for a fight. He was determined and launched right in,” Hillary Clinton said. “And I thought it was important to set the record straight.”
She restated her argument that Obama was unwilling to answer hard questions about his record, including his opposition to the Iraq war, his support for military budgets and his “present” votes as a member of the Illinois Legislature.
Obama countered that this was all part of Clinton’s strategy.
“Senator Clinton announced while we were still in Iowa that this was going to be her strategy and called it the fun part of campaigning. And, you know, I don’t think it’s the fun part to fudge the truth,” he said. “The necessary part of this campaign is to make sure that we’re getting accurate information to voters about people’s respective records.”
The bickering brought new calls for calm from former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, running third among Democratic contenders. “There was a lot of squabbling,” Edwards told reporters in a conference call Tuesday. “While Senator Clinton and Senator Obama were hurling charges and countercharges at each other, I was thinking, `I’m John Edwards and I represent the grown-up wing of the Democratic Party.’”
During an economic speech in Greenville, S.C., Obama accused Clinton of taking politically expedient positions inconsistent with her record. The Illinois senator put an unflattering twist on her contention that she is the candidate most ready to be president from the first day.
“We can’t afford a president whose positions change with the politics of the moment. We need a president who knows that being ready on Day One means getting it right from Day One,” Obama said as he received the only standing ovation of his speech.
The New York senator defended her husband’s aggressive criticism of Obama. She said it did not contradict the former president’s role as senior statesman and party leader.
“I can tell you that never crossed our minds. That’s not how we think,” she said. “It has absolutely nothing to do with a unified Democratic Party around a nominee and a full support for whoever our Democratic president will be. That is just the way it works.”
The Obama campaign began a “truth squad” in South Carolina to respond to negative criticism. Involved in the effort was former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
People in South Carolina “don’t want to see this backbiting, bitter give-and-take that we’re beginning to see more and more of, especially from the Clinton campaign. It’s wrong. everybody knows it’s wrong and it’s got to stop,” Daschle told reporters on a conference call. “Ultimately, it’s going to divide us. And it’s going to have a huge effect, a lasting effect if it doesn’t stop soon.”
Asked about Bill Clinton’s actions, Daschle said, “It’s not presidential. It’s not in keeping with the image of a former president.”
Hillary Clinton, in her comments with reporters, rejected the notion she had used patronizing or racially charged language against Obama. She has called him, among other things, a “talented” and “young African-American man.”
Clinton headed to California on Tuesday to accept the backing of the United Farm Workers Union, which represents a heavily Hispanic work force. Clinton won Nevada’s presidential caucuses Saturday in part because of a strong showing among Hispanic voters—a central part of her strategy to win several states holding contests Feb. 5, including California, Arizona and New Mexico.
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If America is in retreat, which it may decide it is if there are more Dems voting than Repub’s in November, then I would rather have Obama as the leader than Billary the phoney shrew nasty backstabbing power monger. I disagree with both of them politically. She is dispicable. At least he is a somewhat decent person. Plus, at least he could recognize Reagan’s historic significance, something power blind libs like Billary can’t do because they are so blinded by their power lust. History means nothing to them. Billary wants to bring back the 60’s and the 70’s, those halcyon days of double digit interest rates, stagflation, 70% upper income tax bracket, welfare payments. P.S.: the reason the stock market is in turmoil–uncertainty about the future and the better than even odds that dems will be running things for the next 8 years–higher taxes, less US business and investment activity.
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm“I know you think it’s crazy, but I kind of like to see Barack and Hillary fight,” Bill Clinton
Yeah both dressed in leather with whips and - - - -
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:06 pmand bill’s watching from the voyeur’s couch.
Now what is it about another Clinton administration that I just don’t feel right about?
Bill Clinton — “I know you think it’s crazy, but I kind of like to see Barack and Hillary fight…”
Yeah, I’m sure it’s a real turn on for ya man. Ahhh, those compassionate dems…
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 pmHa, I guess that was too easy Mark. Or is it great minds and all of that?
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:15 pmphil
I think the MSM has so affected this society that normal thought processes only get shared on the sidelines anymore.
How do we make the sidelines headlines?
by the way did you check out Duncan Hunter on fox video about
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 pmRomney?
Dittos Mark. I feel like I’m living in bizzaro world.
No I couldn’t bring myself to watch the Hunter video…I read commentary stating Hunter was down on Romney and didn’t want to get more depressed. Let me check it out now and I’ll get back to you.
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:38 pmInteresting video Mark. Hunter doesn’t sound like a Romney fan by any stretch. I just don’t understand his argument about the supposed Bain/China deal — as with any large business I find it hard to place blame on just one individual. The Saddam reference appeared to be a cheap shot — Saddams air defense was a joke at best. All in all Hunters remarks came across as a weak argument against Romney which left me wondering if it is something personal between the two.
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:07 pmOf the 3 criteria Hunter layed out, McCain appears to be only in line with Hunter on 1 of the 3 (defense). I’m not sure the Huckster can even claim 1 of the 3.
Hunter’s assessment of the 3 leaves me scratching my head — but then we are talking about a career politician here (first elected in 1980). I don’t know…bizzaro world…
Ya, as things are boiling down, it is looking less and less like the people most of us agree we need will be ending up in the house. Which really sucks, but as the ones we feel we need drop out (which I know some of you still have your lead picks in the front running) we can look even deeper into the ones still in it.
Plus I agree, if it does have to be a demo and it is between Billary and Obama, I would much rather have Obama than that caniving, flipflopping, bitch Hillary.
Supposedly everybody thinks we need change. Then why the hell is Hillary leading in the Demo Primaries? Even democratic voters can’t practice what they preach.
They scream we want change, but then vote for a Clinton? Lets see, for the last few presidencies we have Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush…. How is putting another Clinton in the White House change?
Oh well, now that Thompson has dropped out, GO MCCAIN!!!
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:32 pmNominate McCain and watch the MSM turn against him and Hitlary move back in at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Then the bi**h begins to steal your rights, your guns and the remaining furniture from the whitehouse.
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:00 pmNominate McCain, Hitlary wins, we lose!
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:02 pmPhil
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 amHunter may just be getting a last dig in on Romney. I do hate the idea that company’s figure that they can do whatever will profit them without a thought of where they are from.
Ive herd the side about trading with china will do more to bring communism to an end than shunning or sanctions but all I see is a china that sucks it all in and then asks for more, all the while building the military. scary
How bout we screw with N Korea till they are ready to cross the border, that would be fun.