Campaign Aide Says Clinton's Debate Tone "Will Be Civil"

By: Fernando Suarez
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

LORAIN, OHIO -- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are gearing up for their third and final one-on-one debate in Cleveland, in what is being seen as a closing argument for both candidates before the March 4th primary. So how will Clinton approach tonight's debate – will she aggressively attack her opponent, or will her strategy more muted?

"The tone will be civil," said a source close to the Clinton campaign, but does not expect Clinton to roll over. "We feel there are strong contrasts to be made with Obama and we won't shy away from making them."

Clinton and Obama were cordial with one another in last Thursday's debate from Austin, Texas, where Clinton said she was "honored" to be on the same stage with her opponent. But just two days later, Clinton was in Cincinnati lashing out angrily at Obama for a negative mailer his campaign sent to Ohio voters. Members of the press began questioning Clinton's opposing tones, asking her if her mild-mannered demeanor in Austin was a front. She downplayed the questions saying she was simply angry at the Obama campaign for the negative mailings.

Don't expect Clinton to throw the first punch tonight since she currently leads Obama in Ohio, making it less important for her to go on the offensive and draw those contrasts.

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by athy4 February 27, 2008 2:51 AM EST: Clinton vs Obama-you decide
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-wilson/batt... Huffington Post 2/13/08 %u201CBattle Tested%u201D By Joseph C. Wilson (Joe Wilson wrote the NYTimes Op ed piece %u201CWhat I Didn%u2019t find in Africa%u201D. This article documented his 2002 CIA investigation %u201CHad Iraq purchased (or attempted to purchase) uranium yellowcake from Niger%u201D. Answer%u2026NO.One week after his op-ed piece was published, Robert Novak disclosed Wilson''s wife''s classified covert CIA identity as "Valerie Plame" in his syndicated Washington Post column-thereby putting her life in jeopardy. Her long-established career was destroyed. Joe STRONGLY and VOCALLY opposed the war against Iraq. He counts himself as one of Hillary Clinton%u2019s strongest supporters for president in this campaign. This article gives good insight in to some of Hillary & Barrack%u2019s int%u2019l affairs positions.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/26/politics/main3876941.shtml CBS News 2/26/08 Does Obama''s Record Back His Rhetoric? CBSNews.com Reports: Democratic Frontrunner Promises To Bring Unity, But Work In Senate Limited Mostly To "Midrange Issues" Brian Montopoli %u2013Some insight into Barrack%u2019s domestic & int%u2019l oppositions
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/u... Times On Line-UK 12/21/07 ''Stay-at-home'' Barack Obama comes under fire for a lack of foreign experience%u201D By Tom Baldwin in Washington; Reply to this comment


by wutuloadu February 26, 2008 10:09 PM EST: Is there a phychoanalysis opinion of her body language and facial expressions out there from the experts ? Sure, i am no expert but, from what i''ve viewed recently are photos of her talking to dark spaces and empty voids, making facial contortions at airplane walls, being so suprised at a TV monitor dropping from the ceiling with Ellen on it and reacting to the invisible crowd like HowdyDoody or PeeWee Herman would do at a children''s morning show ? And the phony finger pointing act to the crowd as if she is acknowledging a pass that resulted in her double-reverse-monster-slam dunk that crashed the backboard and won the game ? God strange...Also, a few photos of her not quite coming on-stage yet while she''s jumping and waving obliviously to her security detail while they''re pointing , "uhm... ms Clinton, the cameras are over there" ? That and the oddest display so far... it looks like she''s gushing and hamming it up for cameras and microphones that arent even hooked up!, as if someone''s playing a cruel joke on her (while they,on the floor rolling with laughter in the control room). LooK at the photos this past week, it seems they are all candid enough and behind the scenes...could very well be plausible. WOW! the election process for the US has become a farce forever more. And who will we see tonight ? Sybill ?...; Reply to this comment


by cherylm1937 February 26, 2008 9:31 PM EST: Hillary is angry about no longer being the presumed nominee and her desperation is showing. Kind of sad to watch. I always gave her credit for having grace. She handled herself with that grace when her husband betrayed her with someone so beneath her. Where is that grace now?; Reply to this comment


by machiavelliw February 26, 2008 9:21 PM EST: I honestly wish that Hillary would walk out onto that stage and tear into Obama with a fury that would expose him for the phony, no-talent, hack that he is, but of course that would only give the anti-Hillary folks in the press more fodder to feed off of.

I really hope that all the Kool-aid drinking Obama supporters don''t get to sick from his artificial and sickeningly sweet rhetoric. I hope they know that saccharine causes cancer for which there is no known cure!

Go get ''em Hillary!; Reply to this comment


by miaw77 February 26, 2008 8:49 PM EST: I can''t wait until tonight!!! The Texas debate was the best ever...

Watching Obama wipe the floor with Hillary as she fires petty cheap shots $0

Watching Hillary squirm as the reality sinks in - Obama has more common sense in his pinky finger that she has in her whole body - and he''s finally not afraid to show it $0

Learning that the only decent point she made in the entire debate - the last 2 minutes - was NOT genuine or heartfelt, but actually a PLAGIARIZED PHRASE SHE STOLE FROM JOHN EDWARDS... PRICELESS!; Reply to this comment


by miaw77 February 26, 2008 8:48 PM EST: This race is over!

The more she talks (yells) the crazier she sounds. She has absolutely no clue at all what this race is all about!

She keeps preaching "experience" when people want "change." She claims to know how to "work the levers" in Washington even though we all know the levers are broken!

She appears to be irrational, unstable, and desperate (with a split personality thrown in for good measure)...

"I''''m proud to be on the stage with you"...

"Shame on you"...

"Let''''s have a real campaign"...

"I''''m mean, let''''s have a smear campaign in which I accuse you of being a radical Muslim and circulate photos of you dressed like the Taliban."

Who can keep up? Pundits now call it the "Kitchen Sink" tactic. I call it mud slinging - just keep slinging and slinging - and see what might stick!

I keep waiting for the total meltdown when her head starts to spin and she keeps repeating, "SHAME ON YOU, AMERICA!" "VOTE FOR ME!" "SHAME ON YOU, AMERICA!" "VOTE FOR ME!" "SHAME ON YOU, AMERICA!" "VOTE FOR ME!" "SHAME ON YOU, AMERICA!" "VOTE FOR ME!"

She''s run a crazy campaign devoid of any rhyme or reason. How can we possibly trust her to run the country???; Reply to this comment


by westafer2 February 26, 2008 8:14 PM EST: Senator Obama''s opponent claims to have had "35 years of experience%u201D which is the entire length of time since her graduation from law school in 1973. But for 28 of those 35 years she worked as a lawyer (9 years), was the wife of the Governor of Arkansas (11years), and served as the First Lady of the United States (8 years). Only for the past 7 years since her election to the US Senate in November 2000 in her adopted state of New York has Hillary Clinton actually been an elected official accountable to voters.
Barack Obama graduated from law school in 1991 returning to his home in Chicago to direct a voter registration drive and work as an attorney representing community organizers and work on voting rights cases and on civil rights cases. In 1993 he became a lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School and in 1996 was elected to the Illinois State Senate where he served for 8 years prior to his election to the US Senate in November 2004. Combining his service as an Illinois State Senator and US Senator Barack Obama has been an elected official accountable to voters for 11 years.; Reply to this comment


by brdier February 26, 2008 7:33 PM EST: What?

Hillary has decided not to ridicule and insult Barack Obama and 10 million voters on national TV%u2026Now there is a surprise.; Reply to this comment