Democratic Fight Night Sees Daylight

Jan. 22, 2008 — -- Stretching Monday night's clash into Tuesday morning, Sen. Hillary Clinton attributed Democratic presidential rival Sen. Barack Obama's debate performance Monday night to the Illinois senator being "very frustrated" with the ongoing primary season.

During a news conference in Washington, D.C., Clinton said "the events of the last 10 or so days, which include the outcomes in New Hampshire and Nevada, have apparently convinced him to adopt a different strategy." Clinton continued, saying Obama "clearly came last night looking for a fight."

Clinton also defended her husband's role in her campaign, dismissing repeated questions about former President Clinton's role as "off-topic."

Clinton said her husband "has put forth the facts, and I know facts are stubborn and I know sometimes it is hard to keep track of facts, but facts matter. What you say matters. What you do matters. And it is clear that this is a difficult subject area for Sen. Obama," Clinton said.

Obama: Clinton Strategy 'Makes People Mistrust'

Not to be outdone, Obama responded during a conference call today and defended himself against Clinton's categorization of his campaign's mood, describing the double-team attacks he's received from both Clintons as part of a campaign strategy to "fudge the truth."

"Looseness in facts," Obama told reporters, "makes people mistrust, makes people cynical on how Washington all too often operates these days. It's important for our campaign to not only make sure the record is correct when folks are saying things that don't side with the facts, but also we are sending a message to voters that we're going go bring about a different kind of politics."

Clinton Deflects Rezko Follow-Up to Obama

Clinton also refused to elaborate on comments she made during Monday night's debate about Obama's relationship with former fundraiser Tony Rezko.

Asked whether Obama's connection with Rezko reflects on his character, Clinton responded, "You will have to ask him questions about that." When asked about calling Rezko Monday night a "slumlord," Clinton said, "I think the record supports that."

Clinton also noted the "historical significance" of her and Obama's candidacy in the 2008 candidate pool, rejecting notions that she had been marginalizing Obama by describing him as a young, articulate black.

Clinton rejected the notion that she is giving up on South Carolina, as evidenced by her schedule and spending out of the Palmetto State. Clinton argued that her husband and daughter were there and reminded reporters that she would be returning at the week's end.

A Debate Turned Slugfest

Monday night's debate became a real firefight, a big moment in a race that so far has been remarkably civil.

Obama, Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards often agree on major policies, and the debates until now have been marked by a sort of camaraderie. But Clinton has taken two of the first three contests, and they're now neck and neck in South Carolina. With that crucial primary now just four days away, they have upped the ante, upped the adrenaline and aimed it at each other. The gloves were definitely off.

"When Sen. Clinton says — or [former] President Clinton says — that I wasn't opposed to the war from the start or says it's a fairy tale that I opposed the war, that is simply not true," Obama said during the debate. "When Sen. Clinton or [former] President Clinton asserts that I said that the Republicans had had better economic policies since 1980, that is not the case."

Plain Language and Verbal Fireworks

Clinton was just as blunt.

"It is sometimes difficult to understand what Sen. Obama has said, because as soon as he is confronted on it, he says that's not what he meant," Clinton replied. "The facts are that he has said in the last week that he really liked the ideas of the Republicans over the last 10 to 15 years, and we can give you the exact quote."

"And I want to be just very explicit about this. We are not, neither my campaign nor anyone associated with it, are in any way saying you did not oppose the war in Iraq," Clinton went on to say. "You did. You gave a great speech in 2002 opposing the war in Iraq. That was not what the point of our criticism was. It was after having given that speech, by the next year the speech was off your Web site. By the next year, you were telling reporters that you agreed with President Bush in his conduct of the war. And by the next year, when you were in the Senate, you were voting to fund the war time after time after time."

There was arguing, there was interrupting and there were zingers. Clinton mentioned Obama's connection to a Chicago real estate mogul who's been indicted for crimes. Obama brought up Clinton's work for Wal-Mart.

"While I was working on those streets watching those folks see their jobs shift overseas, you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart," Obama said. "I was fighting these fights."

"We're just getting warmed up," Clinton countered, changing the focus. "I just want to be clear about this. You talked about Ronald Reagan being a transformative political leader. I did not mention his name."

Clintons Versus Obama

"Your husband did," Obama said.

"Well, I'm here. He's not," Clinton replied.

"OK. Well, I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes," said Obama.

Obama's opponents questioned why, when he was an Illinois legislator, he voted "present" more than 100 times rather than voting yes or no.

"I do think it's important, whether you're willing to take hard positions," Edwards said. "Members of Congress have to vote up or down or not show up. … Why over 100 times you didn't vote up or down?"

Obama eventually said that "most of these were technical problems with a piece of legislation that ended up not being controversial."

There were some moments of levity. Obama was asked whether author Toni Morrison was right when she called Bill Clinton the first black president.

"I think Bill Clinton did have an enormous affinity with the African-American community," said Obama. "Bill Clinton embodies that, he deserves credit for that. I would have to investigate more Bill's dancing abilities before I accurately judged whether he was in fact a brother."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," said Clinton.

In fact, they may just bump into each other. Obama and Bill Clinton will be crisscrossing the state Wednesday within miles of each other. Hillary Clinton left South Carolina after the debate, leaving her husband to do the bulk of the campaigning there.