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Obama Responds to Clinton's Pennsylvania Ad

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April 21, 2008 10:22 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Sen. Barack Obama, in a town hall responded to Hillary Clinton’s new TV ad out in Pennsylvania.

Clinton’s ad describes the presidency as the toughest job in the world and ends with a question: "Who do you think has what it takes?"

Obama brought up the ad multiple times Monday.

He told an audience in McKeesport, Pa., "I know that Sen. Clinton just put out a new ad. She said you wanna make sure whoever's there is ready," he said, and then he launched into his response, summoning up a phrase from another Clinton ad: "Let me ask you a question. There are three candidates left. Who do you want answering that 3 a.m. phone call? The person that got Iraq wrong or the person that got Iraq right? The person who paid attention to the intelligence or the person who didn't? The person who understood the consequences or the people who did not?"

Clitnon's ad uses images of Osama bin Laden. At Obama's last event of the day in Pittsburgh, Obama said it is legitimate for her to summon up these fears, "I noticed Osama bin Laden made another appearance on television on some television ads today. But --and ya know that’s a legitimate issue."

He went on to say that it's the commander in chief's job to keep Americans safe, but also to declare independence from the conventional thinking, and the politics of fear that has come to "obsess our foreign policy."

Earlier in the day, during an interview with NPR, Obama had a one-liner to respond to Clinton’s question at the end of her ad: "I think the answer is Barack Obama. That may not be the answer she was looking for."

At one of his last events before Pennsylvanians head to the voting booths, Obama also hit Clinton on another ad that was released over the weekend, as the candidates sparred via TV ads over lobbying and special interests.

"Sen. Clinton is wrong in her advertising," Obama said of the Clinton ad that links him to lobbyists. "We have not taken a dime of that money, which means that we have not been funded by them, we have been funded by you."

A large part of Obama's message in the waning hours before the important Keystone State primary has been arguing against what he's dubbed as "slash and burn" politicians and politics -– a group he's lumped Clinton into.

"We've got a choice," Obama said. "We can go back to doing business usual. We can try to tinker around the edges. We can end up spending all our time in tit-for-tat back-and-forth slash-and-burn politics. We can be obsessed with personal attacks, or we can decide that we are going to pull together this time, that this time is going to be different."

The Obama campaign has been downplaying expectations for the Pennsylvania primary, saying that Clinton started in the state with significant advantages. The flurry of ads and response ads that the two campaigns launched over the weekend show that Obama is more than keeping up monetarily. The nearly $42 million cash he had on hand to spend in this primary has allowed his campaign spend handsomely on TV advertising in the state.

April 21, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (40)

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LOL, Obama is scared...he doesn't want to debate, he flipped hillary, he whined, and he sucks at enconomics.

He defends carter, but once carter goes to talk to hamas, he doesn't have a comment.

Obama lost my vote during the debate when his knowledge of anything truly lacked.

Posted by: Tor | Apr 21, 2008 10:29:06 PM

He should win Pa. all the time and money spent there. And everyone should have known him by the time the race started there he has been up in Pa.at one point ppphad him up by 2 . So he should have no problem he has out spent Hillary 4to1 in this primary season he should be the one to have already won and not just by 1% The GE is going to be a sad thing to watch. If he can spend all this money and can't close we are in trouble.

Posted by: Bishop | Apr 21, 2008 10:40:25 PM

Didn't Hillary have a 21 point lead in Pennsylvania like 2 weeks ago? You mean to tell me that Pennsylvania voters -- which Hillary supporters say somehow see the light when Obama supporters don't -- were so easily influenced that they came running over to the Obama side just because he aired some commercials?

What does that say about the loyalty of Clinton supporters? 21 point lead to a 7 point lead? That former Hillary supporters that make up that lost 14 points seem pretty fickle to me. What do you think, Bishop?

Posted by: Question For Bishop | Apr 21, 2008 10:45:49 PM

I guess if the hundreds of thousands of people in Pennsylvania that made up that 21 point lead for Hillary were as loyal as you are Bishop, she'd be leading nationally and not Barack.

Eh, oh well. You can alway back my guy. McCain. We'll take you liberal losers on board any time.

Posted by: Question For Bishop | Apr 21, 2008 10:48:20 PM

What I find confusing is that Obama keeps saying that he is the "new politics", but he isn't doing anything "new" that I can tell. Okay, well, that was the first time I've seen a candidate imitate a rap artist dancing, and it is the first time I've ever seen a male candidate flip a female candidate the bird. Obama is bringing sexism to new lows. Why does he always have to "respond" to a Hillary ad? Hasn't Obama outspent Hillary in PA by like 4 to 1? If Obama is the "new" politics, why isn't he open and accessible to the press the way Hillary is? One would hope that the future president would be available to reporters, unless he has something to hide, like not knowing the answers to policy questions! Well, and having to defend his good buddy Jimmy Carter and Hamas, is probably not something Obama wants to talk about first thing in the morning, but Hillary would, because she can handle being a president and answering tough questions! NO OBAMA 08!

Posted by: calli | Apr 21, 2008 10:50:43 PM

I love how these Clinton supports keeping talking in the present tense, like she has a chance. This race is all about McCain and Obama now. Mark my words, a month from now, Hillary will be introducing Obama on the campaign trail.

You liberals always stick together. Trust me. She'll be introducing him.

Posted by: Reggie | Apr 21, 2008 10:54:20 PM

Tina - IF Hillary loses, and that's a big IF, then I'll support Obama because you're right. It's important to get behind a democrat. But just like you Obama supporters are fired up about him, you should let us be fired up about Hillary.

Being mean to us is only going to make it harder for us to vote for Obama in November.

Posted by: Janice | Apr 21, 2008 11:00:57 PM

Clinton seems trigger happy to nuke Iran. Wow! Yes, Iran would have to be smashed, but I think going right out and threatening nuclear war is rash and provocative.
I remember back in the last millennium, people were saying that the antichrist would be in the white house at the turn of the millennium. I have heard people saying that Bush is the antichrist.
I wonder if anybody has considered looking for three sixes on Hillary. After all, she WAS in the white house on 01/01/00 and 01/01/01! I wonder if she could be the devil in disguise.

Posted by: mike | Apr 21, 2008 11:06:13 PM

Obama does not take money lobbyist and special interest? He is the biggest liar. He gets his money from 'bundlers', that is when the lobbyist and special interest groups give money to there employees and friends and family and they give money to Obama. It has been proven. Any way you slice it, it comes from lobbyist and special interest groups.

Posted by: D | Apr 21, 2008 11:11:44 PM

Anybody have any hooters I can put my face in while I whine about Obama?

Posted by: D | Apr 21, 2008 11:19:00 PM

I'm just mad because my candidate is losing. So I get on here every night and try to convince people that she's cool. But apparently it's not working since...she's still losing.

The only "message" I'm delivering is...I backed the wrong team. :-(

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 21, 2008 11:22:00 PM

If you are going to immitate me, at least do it correctly and include my banner.

==========================================
Silly, silly Obama, elite, and silly too!

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 21, 2008 11:23:17 PM

Clearly, there are some immature Obama supporters on here doing what they do best.

==========================================
Silly, silly Obama, elite, and silly too!

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 21, 2008 11:25:07 PM

you McCain supporters are unbelievable. You come on here and take peoples' names. Is that what you call cool?

Posted by: D | Apr 21, 2008 11:27:19 PM

Hillary get out of the race you are done. Get that turkey out of the oven.

Posted by: Deborah | Apr 21, 2008 11:28:18 PM

ok, grow up, this has got to be the most childesh behavior ever.

Posted by: D | Apr 21, 2008 11:29:31 PM

Hey guys, I would've been here sooner but, you know...Sniper Fire.

Did I miss anything?

Posted by: Bosnian Adventures | Apr 21, 2008 11:31:58 PM

LOL Does anyone in American still wonder why Clinton is going to the depths she is right now? She WANTS Obama to hit her back using Bill and his trashy women. Then, and only then, would she gather enough support to beat him. She KNOWS it but so does Obama and he won't do it. LOL Hello...wake up folks and remember who the Clintons are..they have shown you. All you have to do is believe them. It's not hard.

Posted by: Brian | Apr 21, 2008 11:38:22 PM

The scary thing is that Obama has said that foreign affairs is his strong suit. And that's on the basis of a judgment on the pending Iraq War he made while in the Illinois legislature! But when he got to D.C. in Jan., 2005. he voted for continued war funding and the status quo. And he did not use the significant power he had on a key Senate committee to prosecute the Afghanistan War more effectively. And foreign affairs is his strong point?! I know many folks in my community who thought the Iraq War was a mistake. Does that mean we should elect them president? Being a U.S. Senator is a powerful position. He needs to go back to the Senate and do some substantive work on the issues he talks so much about.

Posted by: hopesprings52 | Apr 21, 2008 11:44:59 PM

What national security intelligence is Obama claiming he paid attend that let him conclude there was no WMD in Iraq? Being a state senator he had none. He made a speech at a war protest rally against the other pary, which had absolutely no responsibility. He happened to be on the wright side, which he had ride on for 4 years.

He is a gamble as much as his gamble on a war protesting speech. He most likely would have said 'I agree' if he was in the US senate. He is as hypocrite as ever and phony as paper tiger.

Posted by: liar | Apr 22, 2008 12:19:12 AM

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