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Clinton Goes on the Attack in Iowa
December 03, 2007 2:02 PM
ABC News' David Wright and Eloise Harper Report: At the Surf Ballroom Monday in Clear Lake, Iowa, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., confessed her love of Buddy Holly and then went straight on the attack against her political rivals.
"I'm probably dating myself," she said, but confessed she is old enough to remember Buddy Holly, Ritchie Vallens and the Big Bopper –- who performed their last gig in the room in 1959, the night their plane went down.
Today Clinton briefly suggested she cut the political speeches short and crank up "Peggy Sue." Instead she cranked up the attacks.
Without mentioning Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., by name, she all but accused him of weakness and laziness as a legislator and suggested his ambition exceeds his effectiveness.
Clinton sneered at Obama as someone "who started running for president as soon as he arrived in the United States Senate."
"How did running for president become a qualification to be president?" she demanded. "This is not a job you can learn about from a book."
Noting that Obama missed the recent vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, authorizing tougher sanctions against Iran, Clinton hammered Obama: "He didn't show up to vote. He didn't speak out in the presidential debate that night. And finally he decided to play politics and claimed that the vote he missed."
Obama and the other Democrats have all sharply criticized Clinton for voting yes on the bill –- alone among the Democratic candidates.
Clinton's harsh new tone coincides with a slight drop in the polls in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register poll released over the weekend. Nationally she is still the frontrunner. But polls show that here in Iowa she is trailing Obama.
Obama said yesterday that the attacks are "directly related to changing political fortunes."
Today Obama launched a new website, http://hillaryattacks.barackobama.com, to document her stepped-up attacks and respond to them.
Obama's campaign is using the site to raise money as well.
"If 10,000 people donate in the next 48 hours in response, it will show our opponents that when they attack Barack Obama, it literally makes our campaign stronger," campaign manager David Plouffe says on the site.
The Obama campaign continued to counter-attack Monday, rebuking Clinton.
"Barack Obama doesn't need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq, gave him the benefit of the doubt on Iran, supported NAFTA and opposed ethanol until she decided to run for President," said Obama campaign spokesperson Bill Burton.
ABC News' Sunlen Miller contributed to this report.
December 3, 2007 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (45)
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Hillary attack?
Gee, what a surprize. That woman is the LAST thing the US needs in the Oval Office!
Posted by: Jerry | Dec 3, 2007 2:37:59 PM
It is about time. BO has been the darling of the media and not tested as he should be for a general election. I am fearful that a great hoax is afoot by the Republicans. They literally ignore BO in their attacks and keep it up on Hillary. Why? Because they know that the only place to be sure they can stop her is within the Democratic Primary process. She will be a far better Gen Election candidate. If BO wins the Dem nomination, I smell a landslide loss for the Dems and then the Supreme Court will look like we are back in the 19th centrury.
Posted by: Roger | Dec 3, 2007 3:40:43 PM
Clinton sneered at Obama as someone "who started running for president as soon as he arrived in the United States Senate."
She says that like she didn't start running for the presidency as soon as her husband arrived in the White House.
"How did running for president become a qualification to be president?" she demanded.
How did being the First Lady become qualifications to be president.
Hillary is in a panic because she's not leading in the polls anymore, she's attacking Obama for things that she's also done.
Posted by: Jac Sprat | Dec 3, 2007 3:53:55 PM
If you want higher taxes, social health care,and socialism you cam move to Canada or vote for any democrat Hillieary or BO. Take your pick and by the way I loved living in the 19th centrury when freedom wasn't just a word it had meaning.
Posted by: William F. E. | Dec 3, 2007 3:54:27 PM
Hillary is not going to win Iowa by raising Obama's negatives. She will have to increase her positives. I don't know if she has the political ability or the will to do that.
Posted by: Sean O'Brien | Dec 3, 2007 4:01:13 PM
I believe this attack on BO is good. He needs to run up against some tough competition even though Hillary is simply angry because people don't trust her as a leader and they want to see change. They don't trush HC ability to be honest or up front with the people and as she sees her poll numbers of support continually decline, she is throwing hay makers until something changes. Barack is simply smarter than her, analyze his attack moves, they are very strategic..... Hillary is making his approval rate go higher by attacking him. it is funny and I am not a BO supporter and I see that. I seriously do believe that BO will win the nomination if HC doesn't come up with something that will sway the trust of voters to her side again....
Posted by: Steven | Dec 3, 2007 4:04:29 PM
I think an Obama/Biden ticket is the way to go in '08, not just an electability issue but who will actually get this country back on track. How can anyone still possibly think that having a democrat in the white house could possibly be worse the the republican we have had for the last 8 years. Trillions in debt, a deflated dollar, all but no real political capital left on the world stage. IT is time to end the politics of fear. Hills is done. The next few primaries may be close but she will steadily lose ground, she does not have the character. She is playing politics and trying to point a finger instead of showing leadership. The sooner Obama calls on Biden to join him as VP the better. and for those that keep saying that he has not been tested, he's been accused of being a muslin mole. they have gone all the way back to kindergarten to try and smear the man. They can't find it, because it isn't there.
Posted by: Louis | Dec 3, 2007 4:23:20 PM
she will be dating herself if she gets elected and bill is able to use the oval office as a dating tool to attract young girls again. because he wont be dating her.
Posted by: sheppy | Dec 3, 2007 4:36:06 PM
The ghost of a fellow named William F.E. (who claims to have lived in the 19th century) is adding coments to this blog. Did Hillary not claim to be the recipient of Republicanesque "mud-slinging" in the last debate? I didn't think Edwards' comments were mud-slinging but what the heck!? She's doing the same thing. I say again, you cannot take money from big corporations and then claim to be able to ignore them when it's time to govern. If she is nominated/elected, foreign policy will improve but NO much needed domestic legislation will be passed. The Republicans will be against anything she wants to do because it will be popular with their base and too many people will have a seat at the table when it's time to write the bills. (i.e. oil, drug companies, insurance companies, ...) Also, she will energize the Republican base more than any candidate on either side.
Posted by: TSnow27604 | Dec 3, 2007 4:41:51 PM
Obama should pick Biden as his running mate and the white house will return to the Dems,Its evident Hilary will lose the nomination
Posted by: EE | Dec 3, 2007 4:49:10 PM
The Obama campaign is talking about attack!. How how long they have been snipping at Hillary, Edwards and anyone who dare to say something about Obama.
Is time for Hillary and all the other to engage Obama - following Rove advice to Obama, with humor and smiles"-
If he is taking the facts that Hillary is mentioning are "attacks," wait until the Republicans attack him, they will have no mercy on him. They know he has not experience, records, and alot of flops, even tho they are using him as the vehicle to derail Hillary or Edwards campaigns.
Posted by: Angie | Dec 3, 2007 5:31:05 PM
no, its actually time for all the other democrats to concede and start supporting obama in order to keep him the only democratic candidate who is currently able to defeat any AND ALL 5 top republican candidates. (hillary would lose to all 5 if the general election were held today. i dont even think obama should offer her the vp spot.
Posted by: sheppy | Dec 3, 2007 5:38:13 PM
I think the women in Iowa have already shown their disapproval with Hillary's negative tactics. It will make matters worse, now that she is going to attack Obama's character. Didn't the 'lady' say that she CAN 'take the heat' in the kitchen? I guess she can't. This just goes to show, that since she can't stick with debating the issues, she has resorted to defaming her rivals. The only "experience" that Hillary can demonstrate is 'fighting' Republicans and 'attacking' the other Democratic candidates. So much for bringing the country together. These tactics, I am sure will make her look more 'presidential'. How sad.
Posted by: WashingtonPete | Dec 3, 2007 5:53:50 PM
People are so afraid of socialism but they don't complain when they receive farm or corporate subsidies, which are not free market ideas. An when they reach 62, they have no problem using Medicare for medical expenses.
Posted by: koriksspanky | Dec 3, 2007 6:01:45 PM
Hillary is hated by too many people for us to want to continue this infighting between americans. If we want peace in iraq, why do we want to kill eachother here in america? Please bring peace here first, vote for someone less polarizing for real, live change, and not just talk about it.
Posted by: sherryames | Dec 3, 2007 6:22:31 PM
You guys used the word "sneered"? Seriously? Way to be unbiased, folks.
What kind of pseudo-journalism is this?
Posted by: Orange | Dec 3, 2007 6:24:09 PM
I believe that many democrats dont like hillary, they just want to vote for her to shove the worst down the republicans throats rofl.true compassion there. Just like the congress, the country be dammed as long as i get my knife in.
Posted by: meathead | Dec 3, 2007 6:26:01 PM
Clintons are liars and cheats! Vote for Obama!!! He is our rising star like Kennedy was!
Posted by: Jake of Gor | Dec 3, 2007 6:36:29 PM
I agree with EE, biden would be a perfect running mate for Obama. Biden is smart, clean and articulate.
Posted by: BO4iowa | Dec 3, 2007 6:40:17 PM
Hillary's attacks on Obama seem to be frivolous and without substance. This will hurt her more than it helps. Hillary's campaign appears to acting in wild desperation and grasping at straws. Some insiders are saying that the her campaign has fresh internal numbers that show her poll numbers in free fall in Iowa and elsewhere. That is why they are freaking out and shifted to crisis attack mode.
Posted by: bob | Dec 3, 2007 9:22:21 PM
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