CLEVELAND -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama clashed over trade, health care and the war in Iraq Tuesday night in a crackling debate at close quarters one week before a pivotal group of primaries. Charges of negative campaign tactics were high on the program, too.
"Senator Obama has consistently said I would force people to have health care whether they can afford it or not," said Clinton, insisting it was not true.
Responding quickly, Obama countered that former first lady had consistently claimed his plan "would leave 15 million people out ... I dispute that. I think it is inaccurate," he said.
The tone was polite yet pointed, increasingly so as the 90-minute session wore on, a reflection of the stakes in a race in which Obama has won 11 straight primaries and caucuses and Clinton is in desperate need of a comeback.
Clinton also said as far as she knew her campaign had nothing to do with circulating a photograph of Obama wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya.
The gossip and news Web site The Drudge Report posted the photograph Monday and said, without substantiation, that it was being circulated by "Clinton staffers."
The Drudge Report is a "gossip and news Web site."
It's funny the way the AP feels the need to get in that swipe.
"We have no evidence where it came from," Clinton said, making clear that's not the kind of behavior she wants in her campaign.
"I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo," Obama said.
...Obama also sought to distance himself from an endorsement from Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, the controversial Chicago-based minister who has made numerous anti-Semitic comments in the past.
Obama said he hadn't sought the endorsement, and that he had denounced the remarks.
Clinton interjected at one point, saying that in her initial Senate campaign in New York in 2000, she was supported by a group with virulent anti-Semitic views.
"I rejected it, and said it would not be anything I would be comfortable with." She said rejecting support was different from denouncing it, an obvious jab at Obama.
He responded by saying he didn't see the difference, since Farrakhan hadn't done anything except declare his support. But given Clinton's comments, he said, "I happily concede the point and I would reject and denounce."
The audience applauded at that.
Yes, that's right. The audience loves Obama and so does the Associated Press. So does Tim Russert and so does Brian Williams.
Early in the debate, Hillary claimed that she wasn't being treated fairly by the moderators.
Transcript:
MR. WILLIAMS: I -- well, here's another important topic, and that's NAFTA, especially where we're sitting here tonight. And this is a tough one depending on who you ask. The Houston Chronicle has called it a big win for Texas, but Ohio Democratic Senator Brown, your colleague in the Senate, has called it a job-killing trade agreement. Senator Clinton, you've campaigned in south Texas. You've campaigned here in Ohio. Who's right?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, can I just point out that in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time. And I don't mind. I -- you know, I'll be happy to field them, but I do find it curious, and if anybody saw "Saturday Night Live," you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow. (Laughter, boos.) I just find it kind of curious that I keep getting the first question on all of these issues. But I'm happy to answer it.
I knew Hillary would work last weekend's opening SNL skit into the debate somehow.
Too bad she didn't mention Tina Fey's "bitch is the new black" line.
That would have caused a few sparks to fly.
Hillary was rather restrained, almost too restrained given what she has on the line. She needed to do more than not make any mistakes. She needed to wipe the floor with Obama. She didn't.
Again, Obama was spewing his talking points about his "ethics package."
Whenever Obama says anything about ethics it drives me nuts.
What about TONY REZKO?
When will the mainstream media quit giving Obama a free pass on his shady dealings?
It really bugs me. Hillary shut up about him after that picture of her, Bill, and Rezko surfaced.
Then when Tim Russert quizzed Hillary on Putin's successor, it really ticked me off.
RUSSERT: What can you tell me about the man who's going to be Mr. Putin's successor?
CLINTON: Well, I can tell you that he's a hand-picked successor, that he is someone who is obviously being installed by Putin, who Putin can control, who has very little independence, the best we know. You know, there's a lot of information still to be acquired. That the so-called opposition was basically run out of the political opportunity to wage a campaign against Putin's hand-picked successor, and the so-called leading opposition figure spends most of his time praising Putin. So this is a clever but transparent way for Putin to hold on to power, and it raises serious issues about how we're going to deal with Russia going forward.
I have been very critical of the Bush administration for what I believe to have been an incoherent policy toward Russia. And with the reassertion of Russia's role in Europe, with some of the mischief that they seem to be causing in supporting Iran's nuclear ambitions, for example, it's imperative that we begin to have a more realistic and effective strategy toward Russia. But I have no doubt, as president, even though technically the meetings may be with the man who is labeled as president, the decisions will be made by Putin.
RUSSERT: Who will it be? Do you know his name?
CLINTON: Medvedev -- whatever.
RUSSERT: Yes.
CLINTON: Yes.
Russert didn't play his gotcha game with Obama.
"Who will it be? Do you know his name?"
Russert treats Hillary like she's a Republican.
There's obviously still bad blood between them.
Another thing I didn't like was hearing Obama talk about Terri Schiavo.
RUSSERT: Senator Obama, any statements or vote you'd like to take back?
OBAMA: Well, you know, when I first arrived in the Senate that first year, we had a situation surrounding Terri Schiavo. And I remember how we adjourned with a unanimous agreement that eventually allowed Congress to interject itself into that decisionmaking process of the families.
It wasn't something I was comfortable with, but it was not something that I stood on the floor and stopped. And I think that was a mistake, and I think the American people understood that that was a mistake. And as a constitutional law professor, I knew better.
And so that's an example I think of where inaction...
RUSSERT: This is the young woman with the feeding tube...
OBAMA: That's exactly right.
RUSSERT: ... and the family disagreed as to whether it should be removed or not.
OBAMA: And I think that's an example of inaction, and sometimes that can be as costly as action.
And Obama says he's the guy who can bring the nation together.
Apparently, his unity plan doesn't include people who believe in the sanctity of life.
Summary:
The country is screwed.
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