Clinton Says Obama Wants to Stop Votes

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton accused rival Sen. Barack Obama and his allies of trying to stop people from voting as some of his backers have called on her to drop out of the presidential race.

The Obama campaign rejected the charge, dismissing Clinton's criticism as "completely laughable."

In a series of television interviews in states holding upcoming contests, Clinton vowed to press on with her campaign and suggested Obama and his supporters wanted to keep those states from playing a role in selecting the party's presidential nominee.

"My take on it is a lot of Senator Obama's supporters want to end this race because they don't want people to keep voting," she told CBS affiliate KTVQ in Billings, Mont. "That's just the opposite of what I believe. We want people to vote. I want the people of Montana to vote, don't you?"

Montana holds its primary June 3. The New York senator made similar comments in interviews with stations in Indiana and North Carolina, which hold primaries May 6.

Obama leads the overall race for the Democratic nomination with 1,631 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. He got the backing of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Monday. Clinton has 1,501, according to the latest AP tally.

Clinton almost certainly will end the primary season narrowly trailing Obama in the popular vote and among pledged delegates unless the nullified primaries in Florida and Michigan are counted _ an unlikely scenario at best. But Obama is unlikely to end the race with the 2,024 pledged delegates needed to win outright either, meaning the nominee will be determined by roughly 800 superdelegates.

Responding to Clinton, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "That is completely laughable from a campaign that thought the race would be over on February 5. We have encouraged our supporters to do no such thing and Senator Obama was very clear he supports her carrying on in this race."

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Campaigning in Pennsylvania, Obama called the continuing primary battle "a struggle" but said he believed it was a good process that would strengthen the party in the long run.

"It is a healthy thing that so many people are passionate," Obama said in Johnstown. "I think it is great that Senator Clinton's supporters are as passionate about her as my supporters are about me... I think that is making this historic race that much more compelling."

Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy last week became the first leading Democrat to openly call on Clinton to step aside and cede the nomination to Obama. He said he worried the prolonged nominating battle was strengthening the chances of the Republican nominee in waiting, John McCain.

Since then, Obama and his supporters have said Clinton should stay in the race as long as she chooses while indicating a lengthy primary battle would not help the party's position in the general election.

Obama has been picking up superdelegates at a rapid clip while Clinton's success with that group has slowed considerably.

"I don't even keep track of it, I can't even tell you that figure," Clinton said when asked by Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA how many superdelegates had endorsed her in recent weeks.

As she spoke, her husband, former President Clinton, was in Oregon, lobbying uncommitted superdelegates.

___

Associated Press Writer Devlin Barrett in Johnstown, Pa., contributed to this report.

Comments

[ColoradoDan]

I, for one, wish to see Hillary continue to run ....

Run Hillary Run .... run south to the Mexican Border.

Then run all the way through that country .... then keep running south all the way to Paraguay.

You'll then find refuge in the Bushs 100,000 acre ranchero.

Home at last. The Hillary-Billies will find their NeoCon Heaven amongst friends at last. Perhaps Rush and Cheney will be there to greet you and yours.

Adios

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

I suppose Hillary is a much better candidate than McCain, and I do not really have a problem voting for her. However, Barack Obama is much better, much more sincere, and comes across as more capable, more articulate, smarter and less controversial. This is like choosing between a classic 1964 Mustang and a brand new Prius. As much as I am tempted by the Mustang, I have to go with the Prius. Hillary represents the past, the more-the-same. Hillary represents the kind of politics as usual that I have grown tired of. Barack is the future, he represents real change and real action. Nothing wrong with you, Hillary, but you are not entitled to the nomination. It is not "your turn". Please go away and let Barack Obama bring America what it so desperately needs: Change.

[iPolitics]

Love it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l07COcgwmXU

[lornejl]

Hillary/Change

It's hard to type that with a straight face.

[sheperdess]

Obama; team player, plays by rules.
Clinton; teachers pet, the kid knowone wanted to play with.

[McSurgent]

Hillary, in fact, the little girl in Park Ridge, who when bullied by the boys, would hit back and hard!

[etc]

Go back to school, sheperdess.

[HuffJob]

if you had been around in 92 you would know that Clinton brought the theme "change" then. "Change" was the Clinton theme to begin with. Apparently Obama can't come up with any themes or speeches on his own.

[pinkyboo]

I said this when the Obama supporters were accusing HRC of stealing change and I'll say it to you now. Every opposition (to those in power) party will use change as part of their campaign - DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After we have 4 years of a Democrat in the WH - do you think the Republicans won't use change as their mantra too?

[natasyenehc]

hahahaha..­..is that the silliest post today?
Yes it is -

[KimberlyKay]

You cannot change backward. I am not interested in going back to the 90's. If you are, then by all means go. But remember that the Republicans want to go back to the 50's and the neo-cons want to go back to the 1880's-1929. Why don't we go forward this year into the future, turn the page and remember that we can change Washington? Is it really too much to ask that Democrats actually embrace the future instead of futilely holding on to the past like Republicans? Senator Obama is the future and I, for one, want that future.

[drzoon]

if you had been around in '76.... do you know what Jimmy Carter ran on?

[stepintothelight]

It's a word to the Clintons. It's a movement to Obama. Thank you for being a spoiler.

[kennedy]

I understand being a cult member it must be hard to tell the truth.

[GarsLuber]

Hillary has got til Pennsylvania to make a case.

After that, it's time to pull the plug.

[kevenseven]

And the polls are running against her.

[kevenseven]

If he ties, she MUST get out!

[ScandalousCandice]

I have been saying that people should not declare Penn an automatic win for her. especially when Obama has more time to build his gain. The more people see him and hear him, they love him. The polls reflect this. But everyone is saying it's her state. If she wins it, I am will to bet its only by 2 or 3 points. And what sickens me, is that that is still a major loss for her but she will stay in and continue to waste our fucking time!

[donttasemebro]

She will win Pennsylvania. The question is how big does that win have to be for her to make that case? She will undoubtedly spin a 1 point win into a major victory, but more realistically she wil probably win by high single digits. Then we move on for her to make her case in Indiana. If she loses Indiana, I agree that it's time to pull the plug.

[JDS]

Rendel was on "Morning Joe" today saying that if HRC "wins big" by four or five points....
Talk about moving the goal posts. She was ahead by double digits and now a BIG WIN has been readjusted to suit her current realities. More of the last seven years if she gets the nod. Help.

[Worfie]

And Pennsylvanians are smart and they are supporting Hillary!

[drzoon]

less and less everyday.

[kevenseven]

PA is rotten with racists and they are responding to Hillary's appeals to them.

[stepintothelight]

The two don't go hand in hand. But hey if they want to stay in the loser catagory then so be it. I love the fact that Americas racism will finally bring this joke of a country to it's end. C'mon McCain ... Bring on Armageddon ... Obama will not get the nomination because Americans would rather have an idiot as long as he or she is white. This country is to stupid to do what is best for the future. I will stick around long enough to cast my vote for Obama. But I will be laughing all the way home. If a black man handed you a $100 dollar bill your racism would still cause you a deficit. It's just the mentality of those ... WHO CAN'T VOTE FOR A BLACK MAN ... EVEN IF HE OUTSMARTS ALL OF THE OTHERS. Entitlement ... This country is done.

[CLEDUC]

More deceptions of the voters attempted by Hillary. What else is new?

Maybe when Hillary says that those who voted in the Republican Michigan primary after Hillary told them their votes in the Democrat primary wouldn't count are people Hillary wants to vote in a Michigan re-vote, we might consider taking this overall concern seriously.

In the interim, it just more disingenuous BS.

[SShaw490]

Don't sweat it. Hillary will be gone within one month - not because she thinks it's the right thing to do, not because she gives a tinker's damn about the party's chances in November or even because she cares about the future of the country. She'll be gone because she'll run out of money and she won't be willing to throw more of her own money at the race. She'll run out of money because people will get sick of donating money to someone who can make a statement like "I don't even watch the superdelegate numbers". They'll get sick of sending money to someone who lies so easily she even lies about irrelevant things.

[natasyenehc]

someone posted this earlier but it's really cool and think more should check it out ...really inspiring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9IldaegAB0

[Jaxxon]

Sen. Clinton has gone from throwing the kitchen sink to clogging the toilet bowl. She's so broke she's doing satellite interviews because she can't travel as much and has not money for ads. She's reduced to pandering to old Philadelphians by likening herself to Sylvester Stalone in Rocky- Yo Hillary!

[Superbus]

Hillary and her middle age feminist supporters do not want to concede that she is not entitled to the nomination. Her supporters are mad as hell.

[ChiGuy]

Her campaign isn't even paying its bills to local small businesses that have helped her in various primaries:

Cash-strapped Clinton fails to pay bills
http://www.politico.com./news/stories/0308/9259.html

And STEALS when they think they haven't milked enough from supporters:

Hillary Campaign Commits credit Card Fraud
http://wonkette.com/365959/hillary-campaign-commits-credit-card-fraud-against-delightful-lady

How can anyone back a person so willing to abandon scruples for the sake of victory?

[Worfie]

Are you afraid of the competition? Is that why you Obama supporters want Hillary to back out?

[stepintothelight]

I am just bored with the joke she has become. It's no longer just fodder for SNL ... It's just embarrassing now.

[Plowboy]

She may be broke, but she has some rich liberal friends, like Rupert Murdock and Richard Mellon Scaife. And they have the needed media power, too. Just think of those love letters they sent the Clintons in the past. And now more is at stake!!

[Worfie]

Hillary has what it takes to be the next President unlike Obama who has no experience and no accomplishments to back his claims. Also, Obama's connection with Rev. Wright is disturbing!

[Denni]

It's hard to believe how comfortable she is lying through her teeth. That's not the hallmark of a great politician. It's too bad she thinks it is. Who could ever trust her word as commander-in-chief? You'd need a legion of reporters to follow her around and videotape every move, research every word.

[ragtopdodge]

CAN HILLARY STOP LYING? Just ONCE?

Sheesh.

[ChiGuy]

Apparently not.

[ColoradoDan]

Now the Hillary-Billies are pinning their hopes to the postulate that perhaps maybe Obama might lie sometime in the future ....

That would make Hillary's Bosnia lie, her pro-invasion vote and the racial hatred employed in Hillary's campaign valid to some I suppose.

This is what Clintons campaign has come down to.

Kinda pathetic.

[CarlsV]

When Barack doesn't bring the troops home will he be called a liar?

[kevenseven]

He never promised to bring them home over a weekend, and only an idiot would ask that of a president.

He has said that he will put as much effort into finding a way out as the Bush administration failed to put into planning the occupation.

I respect that.

[Worfie]

It's hard to take Obama supporters seriously when they make the claim that Hillary is a liar when their candidate has lied about his connection with Rev Wright, the Canadian incident, his claim of being "against" the Iraq war when he wasn't in the senate at the time, his connections with unsavory funders of his campaign etc., etc., etc.

[AnninCA]

They are a good test for just how much BS they will buy into.

[kevenseven]

Well, of course, you come with lies.

Obama did not say anything false about Wright. You made the accusation, you show the actual quotes that contradict each other.

The Canadian incident is all about Hillary, not Obama.

He did speak passionately against the war. One does not need to be in the Senate in order to oppose military action by the government. Got logic?

Nobody is going to get 2 million people to give him $200mil and not have a few stinkers get in. Hillary has plenty to investigate as well. Get over your bad self.

etc.

[LinusBern]

What this election is about is the future. Babies are the future. Why does Obama hate babies? Ms. Clinton loves babies.

[KimberlyKay]

What a horrid thing to say. You must be part of Rush Limbaugh's operation chaos. Or you have temporarily lost your mind -- do you actually believe that Senator Obama does not love his two little girls? Please, get a grip!

[KimberlyKay]

That is a horrible thing to say -- you are either part of Rush Limbaugh's operation chaos, or you have temporarily lost your mind. Do you actually believe that Senator Obama does not love his little girls? Please! (I tried to post this before, but apparently my post did not make it beyond the moderator -- why does this keep happening? )

[way out left in san francisco]

Would you want Hillary to kiss or handle your bay after shaking the hands of thousands of her enthusiastic supporters? colds, flu, lies, millions of words daily - all lies!

[drzoon]

this old (wind) bag needs to give it a rest, and go back to ruining unions for Wal-Mart

[Worfie]

drzoon - you are ignorant of what Hillary stands for and what her commitment to public service has been - to call her "old" and a "wind bag" is unacceptable!

[stepintothelight]

NEW SHILLARY ALERT. I suggest you look at the "newness" of this poster and you will see where the Hillary dollars are NOT being spent.

[ctom]

I'm so tired of the Clintons. I've seen them come from nowhere in '92 including the El Camino Bill drove and the Gennifer Flowers news conference where I actually gave Bill and Hill the benefit of doubt. They may have done a good thing here and there but all I remember is the following:

1. History will remember Bill as the only president in history and perhaps the only president ever into the future to get impeached for a blow job. Talk about low class, trailor-park upbringing to bring that sort of disgrace to the white house. I'd recommend getting a room at motel six where that belongs.

2. History will also record Hillary as the most hated and perhaps the most unapologetic first lady. SNL was right about she being a bitch. Dictionary perfect. Her actions to date on her campaign reinforces this image.

Conclusion is that I really don't care what they were or who they are. It's time to turn the page and forget what disgrace/grace that was created under their tenure. They are history.

[CarlsV]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[ObamaEdwards]

Oh, Hillary. When you started this campaign I thought you were a competent but not very interesting candidate. As the weeks roll by, though, I have come to know you well. I have read a lot about you and about Bill, in and out of the White House. I have read the opinions of your supporters, and I have watched your campaign strategy. I have noticed the kind of people who work for you, and their approach to politics and to the American people. And now, after careful examination and a lot of thinking, I truly believe that you are a disaster waiting to happen. Like John McCain, all of your political life is based not on a sense of duty but a sense of entitlement and personal neurosis. You are driven by your own sick need to be special, and that is yet another reason why I am voting for--and campaigning for--Obama. I am voting for the person who has both feet on the ground and isn't running for president to please the Unimpressed Daddy in his mind. Hillary, you need therapy more than you need to win. You really do.