From The Road
March 11, 2008 3:48 PM

Clinton Wraps Speech With a Bow (and Arrow) For Obama

By
Ryan Corsaro
Topics
Hillary Clinton
(CBS)
From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro:

HARRISBURG, PA -- Hillary Clinton topped a speech today with a crescendo of criticisms against Barack Obama, trying to drive a wedge of distinction between his public statements on policy and what his campaign says afterward.

On NAFTA, Clinton said, "My opponent said one thing in Ohio and then his top economic adviser told the Canadian government – 'Don't worry what he says, that's just politics.' "

Clinton assailed Obama on the topic of Iraq as well. "I've been saying I will start to withdraw our troops within 60 days," she said. "My opponent has said he will have them all out in 16 months, and then one of his top foreign policy advisers tells the foreign press 'well, don't pay any attention to that, that's just talk during a campaign.' "

The crowd of over 2,000 people booed at the mention of Obama, and gave Clinton a standing ovation when she shouted, "I gotta tell you, there's a big difference between talk and action, but if you're going to talk, then you ought to mean what you say so people can count on it!"

The Obama campaign accused Clinton of playing politics. "Proving once again that she will say and do anything to win this election," said spokesman Bill Burton, "Senator Clinton today has unleashed a kitchen sink of distorted and discredited attacks that she knows aren't true."

The rally was the first time Clinton herself had targeted Obama in several days after taking time off in Washington this past weekend - barely mentioning him as she began a new leg of campaigning yesterday in Pennsylvania. Interestingly, this is the same opponent she recently hinted at making her vice president.

But today was much different, and instead of suggestions of a Clinton/Obama "dream ticket," as many Democrats have called it, there were comparisons of Obama and the current vice president, Dick Cheney. "In 2005, when we had a chance to say no to Dick Cheney and his energy bill, my opponent said yes and voted for it with all of those tax subsidies and giveaways that have been used by the oil companies and others to retard the development of clean and renewable energy."

Not surprisingly, Obama's campaign disagreed with that characterization. "The fact is, the energy bill that Senator Clinton is using to score cheap political points actually raised taxes on oil companies and made the largest investment in renewable energy in our nation's history," said Burton, "including the tax credit that's kept the wind industry afloat and helped create jobs like the ones at the plant Barack Obama is visiting today."

Clinton's comments came at the tail end of a speech that focused on education costs and insurance woes face by voters in this state.

"The eyes of the world are on Pennsylvania," said Clinton, who is hoping to stay alive in this race with a win in this state's upcoming primary, one of the few left in the country. "It's Pennsylvania's turn."



Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
by hoping8 March 12, 2008 5:44 PM EDT
Who are the anti-Semitics?
Hillary has repeatedly %u201Caccused%u201D Obama of being a Muslim and then her Campaign are talking about his skin colour. For her knowledge, both Jewish and Muslims are both Semitics, and hence being against one of them is to be anti-Semitics. Both religions are very similar too. For example, both do not eat pork. Also, the religious person in both religions is nothing more than a learner! Both are Abrahms religions and passed through his son Sam. The main difference is that people like her accept one Semitic group while rejecting the other. What a great mind to be the president!
Reply to this comment
by nepeebles March 12, 2008 12:50 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton is not driving a wedge, she is creating a void. The longer she campaigns, the less I like her. Hillary is a desparate human being, willing to do anything and everything to get the presidency.
Barack Obam would be a fool to run on the same ticket with Hillary Clinton. He would be better off with Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee.
Miracles do happen you know
Reply to this comment
by jaykay221 March 12, 2008 10:08 AM EDT
No Bess - the intelligent are voting for Obama if level of college education is anything to go by. And what is maturity? Is it an age you are associated with or a state of mind? Some people as they get older become more rigid, prejudiced and tunnel visioned in their views and they fear change and are easily made afraid of the unfamiliar.

Others manage to hold onto their open mindedness - they think about their children and grandchildren and the world that will be left behind them and they delight to see their children motivated and inspired for it is their tomorrow to live. They accept that the only certainty in life is uncertainty and they know that the best antidote to despair is hope.

Which 60+ are voting for Clinton and which for Obama I wonder?
Reply to this comment
by hopeful08 March 12, 2008 7:02 AM EDT
Here is a fact checker on the "*** Cheney energy bill" that Hillary is talking about

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/16560226.html

If voters legitamize false statements, they get the results they deserve
Reply to this comment
by hopeful08 March 12, 2008 7:00 AM EDT
Here is a fact checker on the "*** Cheney energy bill" that Hillary is talking about -

Voters, do your homework, either way you will get the President you deserve
Reply to this comment
by togeika March 12, 2008 4:08 AM EDT
Stick a fork in Hillary, She and Ferraro are DONE! Hillaries surrogates have been bring up race before every new primary/caucus. It is Monstrous behavior!
Reply to this comment
by treetracker March 11, 2008 11:05 PM EDT
Does anyone want to know why we have a sub-prime crisis? Look up the Gramm Leach Biley Act which repealed the Glass - Steagal Act that imposed regulation on the financial industry. This act was imposed after the Crash of 29 to keep banks from being creative with their loans. Want to know who signed this act into law? Bill Clinton. Does Hillary want to take credit for that, too? When will the electorate figure out that neither of these two were really good for America? I want someone with a different idea - I''m willing to try anything different from what we''ve had. Obama has the benefit of really having had to WORK for a living. He''s been in the streets working with real people with real problems. Not sitting behind the desk at the Rose Law Firm or being on the board of Wal-Mart. Or going on road trips as the first lady. All that hog wash about her being critical to the Irish settlement. Or being critical in the trip to China. Then how come she didn''t make the news at the time. Give me a break. The woman is a liar and a Republican in Dem clothing. After all, she prefers McCain win rather than a Democrat, if it can''t be her. Gheeese!
Reply to this comment
by nmben March 11, 2008 8:59 PM EDT

I hope the good people of Pennsylvania don%u2019t buy the divide-and-rule retail get down and get dirty politics of the Clintons. In Pennsylvania they are trying to lower the caliber of discourse on the National agenda into a fist fight over a list of promises. They excel at this, because promises are cheap and most people are not going to ask a simple question: why should we trust you this time around?
Why should we trust you this time around when you setback the cause of universal health care the last time you were in office for two terms (if you are going to claim them as experience)?
Why should we trust you this time around, when you broke the kneecap of blue collar workers with NAFTA and GATT the last time you were in power?
Why should we trust you this time around when you voted for no-child-left-behind as a Senator?
Why should we trust you this time around on National security when you voted for the Iraq war and excused your vote on an every changing list of excuses?
Why should we trust you this time around on National security, even as late as last year you voted for the Kyle-Liberman amendment to give George Bush the same pass on Iran as in Iraq?
Reply to this comment
by fjfjdvdv March 11, 2008 8:40 PM EDT
Clinton keeps saying that Obama is %u201Call talk.%u201D It%u2019s true, he does talk about his policy positions. All the time. And what does Clinton talk about? Obama.

Maybe she should start talking about her own policy initiatives for a change. I%u2019m beginning to think that Clinton is the only real %u201CObamaniac.%u201D Can she stop talking about him for just a day? We get the message, Hillary: Obama is a childlike cult-leading friend to slumlords who isn%u2019t even qualified to answer a phone, and his supporters (the majority of democratic primary voters) are naive and idiotic to approve of a secretly pro-life Muslim extremist. We all understand your campaign%u2019s position %u2013 Obama is the devil.

So Senator Clinton, why not tell us a little bit about yourself for once?
Reply to this comment
by poll-woes March 11, 2008 7:57 PM EDT
Hillary said she was the candidate to bring the jobs of the future to American workers, Yet Senator Hillary Clinton visited India in 2005 praising the Bush and Republicans Outsourcing of American High Tech Jobs going to Indian workers in India.
Hillary said that she will get American laborers working again, But Hillary Clinton praised GW Bush and the Republicans for following through with NAFTA which took a lot of labor jobs away from American workers.
Hillary said that she is the Woman president for women issues, Bill said that Hillary Clinton is the protector of abused children, However when Hillary was a lawyer, before she was married, shacked up with Bill, defending her rapist client in a court case where the victim was a 12 year old girl, it was Hillary who put doubt on the DNA and blood found as proof of the rape. Plus Hillary also signed a sworn affidavit which contained a lie against the Child victim in the case, turning it into a ''he said/she said'' case. After an interview with the child, Hillary stated and signed in the Sworn affidavit that the child had fantasies of older men and that she often sought and even lied about men in the past.
That victim suffered years of nightmares and ended up taking drugs because no one believed her. At the age of 45 she still is a drug addict and was unable to have a close relationship with any man since her rape at the age of 12.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usark245589997feb24,0,2670956.story
Reply to this comment
See all 16 Comments
.

Follow From The Road

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...