Clinton Launches Assault on Obama's Foreign Policy Experience

March 6, 2008— -- Apparently convinced that her attacks on Barack Obama's national security preparedness helped her win this past Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton gathered retired military leaders to continue her frontal assault on Obama's foreign policy experience today.

"The voters shouldn't have to wonder whether their president is ready at three in the morning when the phone rings," said Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard, in one of several statements assailing Clinton's rival.

Some Democratic officials fear that Clinton now seems willing to do whatever it takes to defeat Obama, regardless of the risk that she may be irreparably harming him if he is the eventual Democratic nominee.

"Sen. McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign; I will bring a lifetime of experience; and Sen. Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002," Clinton said today after her event with the military leaders.

Republicans do not mind it one bit.

"Everything that Hillary Clinton has been saying over the last couple weeks are all great soundbites and cuts for John McCain to use in the fall," said political analyst Matthew Dowd, a former senior adviser to President Bush.

Obama is only nominally fighting back, apparently thinking he can rise above it.

Another fight consuming the Democratic Party during this seemingly never-ending campaign is whether Florida and Michigan can hold re-votes, since their original primaries were held against party rules and their delegates are not being recognized.

"That's a huge train wreck because at the convention, there ought to be unity, not division, " Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said today.

No candidates campaigned in Florida and Michigan, and Obama was not even on the Michigan ballot. But Clinton, who won both states, wants to change the rules and count those delegates.

"I can assure you that Michigan and Florida are going to be at the convention," said Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat. "Our preference is that we're not going to have to storm the Bastille, but we will if we have to."

But so far, no one is willing to foot the $15 million to $20 million bill.

Today, Florida Democrats called for a new primary in their state, while Michigan Democrats are discussing holding a caucus.

But Clinton has told U.S. News and World Report that she opposes any sort of do-over for Florida and she would not accept it if Michigan were to hold a caucus.

Clinton has lost 13 out of 15 caucuses so far.

Obama has said he will go along with whatever the party decides.