Posted on 05/04/2008 6:11:10 PM PDT by blam
Obama tars Clinton with the Bush brush
By Toby Harnden in Washington
Last Updated: 12:54AM BST 05/05/2008
Barack Obama, struggling to contain a surging Hillary Clinton, has hit back against his dogged Democratic rival by branding her as just a President George W. Bush clone for threatening to "totally obliterate" Iran.
Barack Obama talks to residents as he campaigns in Indiana
"It's not the language that we need right now, and I think it's language that's reflective of George Bush," he said on NBC television. "We have had a foreign policy of bluster and sabre-rattling and tough talk, and in the meantime we make a series of strategic decisions that actually strengthen Iran."
But Mrs Clinton, who narrowly leads in polls in Indiana and has crept up to within striking distance of Mr Obama in North Carolina, was unrepentant about her vow to respond in kind if Iran launched a nuclear attack on Israel. North Carolina and Indiana go to the polls on Monday.
"Why would I have any regrets? I am asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for," Mrs Clinton told voters in a moderated session shown on ABC News.
"I think we have to be very clear about what we would do. I don't think it is time to equivocate about what we would do. I sure want to make it abundantly clear to them that they would face a tremendous cost if they did such a thing."
The sharp exchange between the two Democratic candidates on duelling Sunday morning talk shows encapsulated the state of their tight race with Mr Obama portraying Mrs Clinton as an unprincipled opportunist and she painting him as an unpatriotic wimp.
Mr Obama emerged unscathed from a 45-minute grilling - albeit more polite and restrained than Jeremy Paxman or John Humphrys even on an average day - by Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press".
He was pressed on his association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his fiery former pastor whose "God damn America" sermons and claims that the US government invented AIDS to kill black people, have alienated many white voters.
Stating that he had severed relations with Mr Wright, his pastor for 20 years and who married him and baptised his two daughters, Mr Obama promised that he would "absolutely not" seek counsel from him in the White House, adding: "I never sought his counsel when it came to policy."
He conceded that he might have dealt with the Wright issue, which could have the potential to scupper him in a general election against John McCain, the Republican nominee, earlier. "When you're in national politics, it's always good to pull the Band-Aid off quick. Life's messy sometimes...all this stuff is happening under a spotlight and you need to deal with it quickly."
Aides to Mr Obama hope that the furore over Mr Wright, which has twice flared in recent weeks, has now died down. But it has damaged Mr Obama in national polls and made him suddenly vulnerable in North Carolina, where he appeared to be coasting to an easy win, and boosted Mrs Clinton in Indiana, considered a toss-up state.
Mr Obama accused Mrs Clinton of pandering to voters on Iran and also her proposal, previously put forward by Mr McCain, for a "gas-tax holiday" - a suspension of the tax on petrol over the summer.
The gas tax was, he said, a "classic Washington gimmick" because it could not be funded, would save the average motorist no more than $28, would take money away from fixing roads and bridges and was a political non-starter because Mr Bush was in office.
"This defines, I think, the difference between myself and Senator Clinton."
Although Mr Obama is on the back foot in Indiana and, to a lesser extent, North Carolina, Mrs Clinton's options narrow by the day.
The two candidates split the vote in tiny Guam on Saturday and Mr Obama should still maintain a lead of more than 100 pledged delegates - those allocated by votes even if he loses a string of the remaining six contests.
That would leave Mrs Clinton needing to persuade three quarters of the 270 or so undecided "super-delegates" - party officials not tied to votes - to swing behind her after voting ceases on June 3rd.
Ewwwwwwwww. Not feathers too
OK... a headline that includes the words Obama, tar, Clinton and Bush.
Why do I feel dirty?
Pass the popcorn please! :)
Well, what would you expect from the candidate endorsed by Hamas?
"Seriously, I've had it up to here with you people. Y'all are just a bunch of gun-totin', Bible thumpin', rednecks."
“We have had a foreign policy of bluster and sabre-rattling and tough talk...”
And of kicking @ss wherever we’re needed, Hussein!
This clown needs to read SandRat’s posts on FR more often, LOL!
Oops! Ping to #8. :)
Good one. :)
Barak Obama = Neville Chamberlin.
Blind, dumb and naive. A dangerous position in a dangerous time.
I guess “Tar Baby” has become politicly correct again?
Leave it to the Brits to hold no punches when it comes to precisely defining the two candidates.
If Hillary becomes the democratic nominee she will forfeit the entire black vote or at least 95% of it. That is around 17% of the entire population. Negro’s will riot and the democratic convention will be in chaos. This freak show will cause all (but the most radical left wing kooks)to vote for McCain or not vote at all. After it is all said and done the libs own racism will be what destroys them. Pretty fitting end.
> Leave it to the Brits to hold no punches when it comes to precisely defining the two candidates.
Well, the Brits did okay there, but TRULY holding no punches would have been more like this:
...Mr Obama portraying Mrs Clinton as a unscrupulous lying @sshole and she painting him as a communist candy-@ss pu55y.(And if they were REALLY TRULY holding no punches, they would eschew the punctuation too.)
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