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Obama Responds to Clinton in Rhode Island
March 01, 2008 5:38 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: In his first visit to the smallest state, Rhode Island, Sen. Barack Obama tried to draw big differences between himself and his competitor, Sen. Hillary Clinton, under the guise of questioning who can bring about real change.
Obama argued that Clinton has not led for real change on a myriad of topics, and launched into a cadenced criticism saying, "Real change isn’t calling NAFTA a victory and saying how good it was for American people until you decide to run for president, like Sen. Clinton did... Real change isn’t saying that you’ll stand up to lobbyists and special interests when you’ve taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any Democrat or Republican running for president, like my opponent has... Real change isn’t voting for a bankruptcy bill that makes it harder for working families to climb out of debt."
The final "real change" argument -– on the Iraq war -– was a direct response to Clinton's criticisms of Obama, which reached new heights this week. The Clinton campaign has ratcheted up its criticism of Obama’s foreign policy credentials and launched a bold ad questioning who was better prepared to pick up the phone in the White House during a crisis at 3 a.m.
Obama reminded the crowd twice during his speech that he was against the war from the start and that Clinton voted for the war.
"Real change isn’t voting for George Bush’s war in Iraq and then telling the American people it was actually voting for more diplomacy when you start running for president. The title of the bill was 'A Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.' That’s sounds like you were voting for "Authorize use of armed forces," he joked and then said defiantly, "I knew what it was."
Obama did not vote either way on the bill because in 2002 he was not a U.S. Senator at the time.
Obama’s speech at the Rhode Island College Recreational Center came the same week Clinton was in the same room campaigning. At that speech Clinton joked about Obama thinking that the clouds will part and he will wave a magic wand to get change to happen.
Obama responded today, saying he’s been teased a lot during this campaign.
"She was saying -- right in this building -- she was saying, 'oh, you know he thinks that the clouds will part and you know he's so naïve... He thinks he can wave a magic wand, suddenly everything will be great.' You know, it is true that I talk about hope a lot..." But he said he knows how hard it will be to bring about change.
March 1, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (18)
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Yes, they actually spoke in the same buisling, one week after another.
An estimate of 1500 - 2000 people came to listen to Senator Clinton.
Senator Obama had a full house, 5500 people, and he seperately had to adress another 1000 who couldn't get in but waited for his arrival outside.
These numbers tell you the story about what is happening in Texas, Ohio AND Rhode Island.
Absnews surely is giving the impression that it is uncomfortable with the REAL change happening right now in this great country, but that's how it is, that is how history is being written today. Not by the press, but by the majority of the American people.
Posted by: Roderick | Mar 1, 2008 6:20:57 PM
Obama talks about REAL CHANGE, like his voting record on Iraq once he became a Senator, and like chairing an important committee on NATO and the war in Afghanistan, and the meetings he has held--zilch!
So much for waving a wand with the words change and hope!
Posted by: georgia | Mar 1, 2008 6:21:48 PM
What a contrast. Sorry, can anyone imagine a bitter and cynical whiner like Hillary in the White House? I can't.
Maybe she'll blame the media again if she finally releases those tax returns..
Posted by: Tungsten | Mar 1, 2008 7:33:35 PM
Obama:
Spoke out about the war - when he was not even voting - no accountability
Voted PRESENT on many issues (couldnt make up his mind)
Past off words of another senator for his own (doesnt even use his own words for his speeches)
Pushed the wrong button 5 times (was no one there to tell him which one to push?)
Always agrees with Hillary since she goes first at debates (He was lost the other night about russia - he has no original ideas - just rides Hillaries coattails)
She put out a great ad - which is indeed true about what would happen at 3 am (he put out an ad right after it just like it but included his name - again quit using her stuff - be original make up your own stuff)
And when he was in Rhode Island today - just like Hillary said ...the skys opened and angels were singing "God says you better pick Hillary or the world you live in is going to hell"
Hillary is the BEST candidate to answer the phone and get this country turned around.
Posted by: Lee | Mar 1, 2008 7:35:24 PM
what i see is that senator Clinton is not a true person. I think that in order for her to win the nomine she do not have to mock Senator Barak Obama. I think that she can not take the heat. And I say a person like that is she really cualified to rule this nation?with lies and getting angry at the press? And I now every time I go in the internet most of the news are about Senator Clinton and nothing from Obama. And I think that is what she realy wants yo get all the atention to her campain and not to Barack Obama. Another thing she keeps saying is that she has more experience but if she has never being a president and never made any mayor detitions for this country what makes her better than Senator Obama?
Posted by: lola | Mar 1, 2008 8:03:37 PM
If we see Obama start moving up in Rhode Island, it could be a very long Tuesday night for Clinton. Though the two big states seemed safe for her just a couple weeks ago, Rhode Island seemed completely out of reach for her opponent.
I'm surprised he took time to go there, unless they have internals already showing some movement, or see a possibility to at least cut down the losses by a delegate or two.
Posted by: Paul | Mar 1, 2008 8:15:57 PM
Obama keeps telling those lies, those sweet little lies...The smooth & easy Lies the itching ears want to hear. Bush did that too... & the majority voted for him 2 times !!! But no one now will admit it. Seems Like no one voted for Bush. If Obama gets in .. in a short while...it will be History repeating itself all over again. And No One Will Have Voted For Obama. And No One Will Be Better Off. Vote Hillary, Get A Job That Can Sustain Life. Vote Hillary & Get A Life !
Posted by: Common Sense | Mar 1, 2008 8:44:14 PM
Obama's judgements have crack in them.
Posted by: Not A Fool. | Mar 1, 2008 8:47:04 PM
I just saw that Obama is within single digits in the latest Rhode Island poll released today, and that's down from a consistent 15-point deficit last week.
Guess that's why he flew to Providence.
Posted by: Paul | Mar 1, 2008 8:53:49 PM
And that means the polls were getting tighter even as Clinton has been the only one to visit there. Huh, interesting.
If Obama can split the 32 delegates in Rhode Island, while winning a net of five or so in Vermont, it puts that much more pressure on Clinton to win big in Texas and Ohio.
She needs to net 60-70 for the day, just to have a shot at getting back in the race.
Posted by: Paul | Mar 1, 2008 8:55:56 PM
Obama's whole adult life is so staged.
Posted by: Bishop | Mar 1, 2008 9:00:47 PM
Obama is FOR REAL folks. Clinton twists reality to fit her voter group of the moment. Electing Obama is our only chance at finding REAL SOLUTIONS not the same old politics of the triangulated Clinton world of, say what people want to hear. Only Obama can be trusted to use good judgement in REAL WORLD to achieve REAL SECURITY for America. The Clintons are full of it through and through. Are we so used to being lied to by George Bush, that we as Democrats will now believe and trust the Clintons. I hope not.
Posted by: bob10001 | Mar 1, 2008 9:13:13 PM
Obama is the best leader.
Iraq vote. Obama voted NO., HRC voted yes.
The war can cost us 7 TRILLIONS.
4000 Soldiers killed.
Afganistan still a problem
VOTE OBAMA. Save our nation from special interest lobbies. PLEASE.
Posted by: Tariq Ahmed | Mar 1, 2008 10:51:07 PM
Rhode Island is no different than the rest of America. We are tired of Washington not listening to Americans. They talk lots of promises when it's election time, but never deliver.
Hillary and McCain have been a part of that for so long that they don't know how to fix it.
Hillary has consistently blamed someone else. Simply look at why she voted for a war in Iraq.
McCain has at least worked across lines. However, he's taking many of Bush policies for his campaign.
Barack is new. Maybe he will or maybe he won't be different. At least he hasn't made us sorry for supporting him in the past.
Hillary promised 200,000 jobs to New York. It's been 8 years and they are still waiting. In the Ohio debate, Hillary demanded minutes from her first lady years released. After the debate, it was announced that her campaign was to blame for the delay. Her campaign said it would be a couple weeks.
Hillary begs women to vote for her, but refuses to give $170,000 back to a contibutor who has a history of sexual harassment against women.
Do a fact check and you will find this is all true.
Posted by: Dan | Mar 1, 2008 11:33:16 PM
The Clintons are disengeneous people who will do and say anything to have power and be in the White House again. Even if it tears the democratic party apart.
I just looked at Hillary in Texas, faking and trying to speak like Ann Richards. The only thing she and Bill wants is to be back in the White House.
That is why she carpet bagged to New York and that is why she stayed with Bill and sold her dignity.
Posted by: mal | Mar 2, 2008 4:12:01 AM
obama is the leader, no one can be fool by hillary backward ideaolgy,
Posted by: ola aminu | Mar 2, 2008 6:26:08 AM
A good majority of obama fans don't even realize that he didn't vote for the Iraq Resolution because he didn't have a job in the U.S. Senate then. He was only an Illinois state senator and I mean, really, how many of you know the names and voting record of your state senator? When the U.S. Senate cast their vote, Obama was yelling at his TV in his living room just like I was- and trust me, I really shouldn't be President. Having been "right" on just one issue when it cost him nothing at the time to take that position is not leadership or change you can trust. Still, no one has been able to tell me how and why, with his short tenure at every level of stepping stone political jobs, his is the “change we can believe in” (he changes jobs more than I can believe). I need a little more than that to trust that someone is ready to take on governance and all the post-Bush problems of the American people.
Posted by: ben | Mar 2, 2008 1:41:48 PM
Obama was the first to say that he will pesonally talk to our enemies. Hillary
called bim naive. Now she is saying how she will be talking to world leaders.
Obama was the first to talk about change,then hillary picked up that mantra. Who is following whom?
We don't need an experienced policymaker
for a president but a leader who can bring the world back to us.
Posted by: athenama | Mar 2, 2008 5:56:26 PM
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