Clinton Takes Swipe At Obama's Experience, Says Nation Can't Afford "On-The-Job Training"

AP:

The economy needs help and fast, Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Monday, claiming the experience for the job and saying the nation can't afford to break in a newcomer.

In speech excerpts provided by the Clinton campaign, the New York senator suggested Democratic rival Barack Obama and other candidates lack the experience necessary to address the nation's fiscal challenges.

"There is one job we can't afford on-the-job training for -- our next president. That could be the costliest job training in history," Clinton said. "Every day spent learning the ropes is another day of rising costs, mounting deficits and growing anxiety for our families. And they cannot afford to keep waiting."

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[MRb1000]

If I were Obama I would ask her to produce a resume!!! She will not produce one because she dose not have one.

[MRb1000]

We can afford another candidate that flip-flop and lie!!! Hillary is being exposed to the truth. We want to move on to higher ground.

[SeanGardner]

Obama pulls ahead in the latest poll, and...is considered more trustworthy than Hillary. Here is the link:

http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Vote2008/story?id=3887274&page=1

[GuiltyByStander]

OK, so now experience is important -- finally!

Let's look at 34 years of honest political hard work and legislative success. That's why they're saying (and this is fun):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbOa989IRYw

[tililek]

Experience as what? The wronged wife? Or was there something there we all missed?

What experience is she referring to? I'm somewhat slow these days, so please enlighten me.

[fraze]

Hillary continues to try to take credit for "being-there" in the White Hours as experience. There is no experience on the planet that qualifies one to be president - except having been president. This whole experience thing is a smoke screen (to misquote Shakespeare) "...it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Macbeth Quote (Act V, Scene V).

Hillary can't take credit for any of her husbands actions in the White House because they weren't her actions. So what does this leave us with? Only who has the better judgment.

[ffa]

"The Nation Can't afford"? What a crap.

This country has survived Bush. It would survive You, Mrs. Clinton. And most definitely it can afford Mr. Obama.

[SeanGardner]

What "experience" does she have that Obama doesn't? GQ Magazine made a great point about expereince among the three Democratic frontrunners:

“Even on the much hyped question of experience, Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are roughly equal, each having no more than a decade of legislative experience and no executive experience. Given the historic opportunity of an electorate desperate for change and disinclined to elect another Republican president, the Democratic contest is really about who will be the most transformational president. Obama’s case is that to change anything in America, we have to begin by changing our politics, and he offers the kind of campaign he’s running as evidence that he means it”.

And, in 1992, then-Governor Bill Clinton, running for president, actually said we place to much stock in "experience". Here is what he said:

"I believe experience counts, but it's not everything. Values, judgment and my record...also should count for something...we have to change this country...insanity [is] just doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result...We have got to have the courage to change...We need a new approach. The same old experience is not relevant...And you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience..."

So there, let's debate the notion of "experience", and let Obama and Hillary debate say, for one whole hour, the depth and scope of their experience.

I'd have to give Mr. Obama the edge on this one.

[prochange]

Next time I apply for a job I will say that my experience is that I was married to a man, who did this job for eight years, and i will insist that this qualifies me.

[RabidRightRebel]

Clinton while a clearly talented politician is taking a page out of the Rove playbook. If you have a handicap, accuse your opponent of having the handicap therefore diverting attention from your own flaw. If it is experience we need then the obvious candidate would be Richardson or Biden. While Obama does not bring much experience he does bring genuine hope for a better way, something Clinton has no possiblity of providing.

[wndrwrthg]

And exactly what is her experiance? If you want someone with experiance in dealing with ecomonic issues, vote for Bill Richardson, he was a govenor and had to deal with budgets.

[snruB]

Ironically, this is actually literally out of the Republican playbook. Specifically, Romney's

[snruB]

Obama was President at the Harvard Law Review, worked tirelessly on civil rights cases, was in the State Senate, taught constitutional law for 10 years, and has worked about as long as Hillary has in congress. What is it that makes Hillary more qualified than him, again? Is this the only job where you can cite your significant other's work as your own experience?

[Vik]

Sally Bedell Smith refers to it in her book "For Love of Politics" as well.

She talks about how Hillary et al were promoting the idea that she follow Bill after his second term and how the Clintons sandbagged Gore on his run.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/clinton200711