Obama Says GOP Will Have Dirt on Clinton

CHICAGO — Sen. Barack Obama predicted Wednesday that Republicans will have a dump truck full of dirt to unload on Hillary Rodham Clinton if the former first lady wins the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama said he offers the party its best hope of winning the White House, a claim Clinton also made.

At a news conference the morning after Super Tuesday, Obama offered some pointed advice to members of Congress and other party leaders who will attend the national convention this summer as delegates not chosen in primaries or caucuses.

He said if he winds up winning the most delegates in voting, they "would have to think long and hard about how they approach the nomination when the people they claim to represent have said, 'Obama's our guy.'"

Clinton, in a news conference at her campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va., said, "If voters start to think about who would be the best president, to be commander in chief on Day One, to turn the economy around and who would be the best Democratic nominee to win in November, I am very comfortable with the answers to those questions."

Obama won primaries and caucuses in 13 states on Tuesday, including his home state of Illinois. Clinton won eight states, including her adopted home state of New York, and American Samoa. Obama and Clinton were in a tight race in New Mexico.

Obama said he had won a majority of the 1,681 delegates at stake, although The Associated Press tally showed several hundred yet to be allocated.

Asked about Clinton's recent comment that she would not allow herself to be victimized by the type of Swift Boat-style attacks that were leveled against the Democratic nominee, Sen. John Kerry, in the 2004 race, Obama said he had been vetted by his opponent in the nominating campaign.

"I have to just respond by saying that the Clinton research operation is about as good as anybody's out there," he said.

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"I assure you that having engaged in a contest against them for the last year that they've pulled out all the stops. And you know I think what is absolutely true is whoever the Democratic nominee is the Republicans will go after them. The notion that somehow Senator Clinton is going to be immune from attack or there's not a whole dump truck they can't back up in a match between her and John McCain is just not true."

Clinton said there is nothing in her past that she tries to play down or hide, including the years she worked as a corporate lawyer for a Little Rock, Ark., law firm. Her oft-cited 35 years of experience includes service "in the public, private and not-for profit sectors," she said.

As to the race between her and Obama, Clinton said, "This is a vigorous two-person contest now. And I think it's only just become a two-person contest in the last, what, 10 days or so. Therefore I am hoping we're going to have more debates, we're going to be able to showcase our records, our qualifications, the differences, the contrast between us, because voters are really tuning in now."

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee responded to Obama, saying there would be material to use against him, too.

"With all due respect to the Clinton 'machine', should Barack Obama win the nomination, I'm sure Republicans will have plenty of arguments to level against the Senate's 'most liberal' member," said Alex Conant. The reference was to Obama's ranking by National Journal magazine as the most liberal senator last year.

Obama suggested there were several areas in which he could do better than Clinton against the Republicans in the fall.

"I have no doubt that I can get the people who vote for Senator Clinton. ... It's not clear that Senator Clinton can get all the people I'm getting," he said.

Obama sought to claim the permanent underdog's role in the race, saying the New York senator is backed by a "political machine honed over two decades."

At the same time, the Illinois senator said the more he appears before voters, the better he does on primary days.

He said he intends to campaign in the states next up on the calendar _ Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington vote on Saturday; Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia on Tuesday. Clinton said she, too, looked forward to the upcoming contests.

Obama got a boost in Washington state Wednesday, securing an endorsement from the Service Employees International Union's 100,000-member state council. That state's largest union had endorsed John Edwards but has decided to support Obama. Edwards quit the race last week.

Comments

[douglaswylie]

"Sen. Barack Obama predicted Wednesday that Republicans will have a dump truck full of dirt to unload on Hillary Rodham Clinton if the former first lady wins the Democratic presidential nomination."

Good to see that Barak continues to take the high road.

[CobaltMoon]

I wouldn't care if he came out waving pom-poms, it beats the hell out of the doom and gloom rhetoric that has been stuffed down our collective throats over the past seven years. I don't know what kind of president he or Hillary will make but I do know that it will be better than anything that the McCain will bring to the table. We need to get over the bitterness that living years under an oppressive regime has wrought and work as hard as we can to get one of them into the WH, even if we don't feel it, fake it! There is too much at stake.

[BobTomJohn]

I thought it was a line from The Matrix, something Morpheus said to Neo.

[Aladdinc]

I was very uncomfortable after Obama's speech last night and worried for our democracy. It's very length and self-referential tone with little content except suggesting his power and that of his followers unnerved me. Does he, like George W. Bush, think that he (even collectively) is the Messiah? His campaign more and more sounds like a cult of personality, not issues.

[fisharefreinds]

Didn't Margaret Cho do a show called this? We are the ones we've been waiting for? Or was it "I am the one....?" Anyway, he owes Cho!
Let's hope the voting machines aren't rigged in the Fall for another "surprise upset." Or else Obama Clinton ain't never gonna see the White House.

[eladora]

I voted Obama in Missouri. But it should be a
Clinton/Obama ticket. Both have shown they draw different demographics and together they can win in Nov. I didnt want this before--but now I do. The Dems can hold the wh for 16 yrs this way and have Edwards be AG for all that time retroactively going after the criminals for the last 7 yrs in the wh. Then appoint him to the Supreme Court first chance. This should be the plan. i love Obama and in 8 yrs he can be President . We need a Dem in the wh in Nov.

[bac]

Good speech. Although sometimes he does sound like a typical black preacher. Shades of 'Keep hope alive'! Might do him good to tone it down a little.

[robkarma]

Billary supporters - tired, cynical, paranoid. America has had enough with this kind of 'leadership'. A new day with a brighter vision for America is upon us. There's still room on the wagon.

[tkk]

As always, ungracious and petty. The Uniter=the dirty tricks campaigner.

[ccarson]

The line: We are the ones we've been waiting for" is actually the title of a book by Alice Walker.

[dr4Will]

the black man has a lot of arrogance-no one has been waiting for an inexperienced senator who defended his corrupt,indicted friend Reszko, in Illinois--that isn't change,thats keeping the corruption going--read the Trib of Chicago and Joh Kass

[nerakami]

NOW is not the time for bickering and trading insults. The Obama campaign is about uniting and looking beyond our personal pettiness in the interest of the whole... (these United States of America).
I ask all Obama supporters to do the research and speak factually about his accomplishments. People will be very surprised that this man consistently makes sound decisions.

That is our mission, passing on the facts. ie; the biggest misconception about Hillary's Universal Health plan is most people think that it is the Gov. that will be paying for the Health Ins. NOT TRUE. Each individual by law, will be responsible for getting health insurance whether, we can afford it or not.

Mass. passed Universal Health Ins. into law and now:

"Massachusetts Health Reform Bill: A False Promise of Universal Coverage......" about 250,000 more people are uninsured in Massachusetts than the day it was signed. Unfortunately, Massachusetts’ new health reform legislation looks set to repeat that disaster."

What are they to do... fine these people, charge them with a misdemeanor, garnish their wages? Hillary still has to answer that...

California Gov. tried to get Hillary's health ins. model passed in CA. It was just REJECTED 7-1.

"In a blow to universal health care coverage in California and possibly to its prospects nationwide, a State Senate committee on Monday rejected a sweeping plan by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would have offered insurance to millions of uninsured residents. "

"“This bill is not only not perfect, it is flawed,” said State Senator Sheila James Kuehl, Democrat of Los Angeles and chairwoman of the committee, who voted against it."

Obviously, there is a problem implementing the Clinton Health Plan. It is the responsibility of each of us to get this information before we make our decision. GET THE FACTS !!!!!!!

Vital energy is being wasted arguing with each other over non-sensical issues. Pour your energy into promoting ONLY FACTUAL information about your candidate.

With that being said: "We ARE the ones we've been waiting for"
amen

[LeftLeaner]

I didn't listen to the speech, but I can bet the "WORD" change was used, again!!!

It amazes me how SO MANY PEOPLE are swayed by so LITTLE INFORMATION.

He has not - and will not - offer Universal Healthcare, think about that.

Maybe it's me, but after 7+ long, grueling years of a President whom "People would like to have a beer with", I'm was looking for more than empty words and rhetoric.

John Edwards was the ONLY candidate who offered CONCRETE SOLUTIONS and HOPE for the Middle Class and the disadvantaged. With him out, I can't get excited over either of the TWO CORPORATISTS.

I will vote Democrat REGARDLESS, as we need a BALANCED SUPREME COURT that already has demonstrated its PRO-CORPORATIST slant.

The Media successfully got John Edwards out, so they don't have to worry anymore about a TRUE CANDIDATE of the People. They're back to reporting on "THEIR OWN".

[ChimpmasterDJ]

I listened to the speech. I thought it was truly what needed to be said. It might even have reached the cold dark heart of a Clintonista or two, had he used somewhat easier vocabulary for them to grasp.

[mikekev58]

When I hear Obamsters seeming to want to discount the early mail in votes, I can't help but paraphrase Joan Crawford: "But they do. They do count, people!" Obama knew about the early voting, did his best to bring the Brother Love Traveling Salvation Show to CA, and fell short. The delegates will be divvied up proportionally, the race will go on, later states will matter for once, and the convention might actually be worth watching this year. May the best woman win!