Hillary On The Hot Seat

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, is discovering the drawbacks of leading the pack. Two of her presidential rivals criticized the New York senator hours after a Hollywood mogul launched a blistering attack on her and her husband.

At the first all-candidates forum of the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign in Carson, City, Nevada, former Sen. John Edwards criticized Clinton for failing to admit that her 2002 vote authorizing President Bush to attack Iraq was a mistake.

"We need a leader who will be open and honest with you and with the American people — who will tell the truth, who will tell the truth when they've made a mistake, who will take responsibility when they've made a mistake," Edwards said.

Edwards said her refusal to disavow a 2002 vote on Iraq was "between her and her conscience." Edwards also voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq, but he has since apologized for his vote.

Another Clinton rival, Sen. Chris Dodd, said there were "two responses people in public life never like to give, and I don't understand why: 'I made a mistake' and 'I don't know.'" Dodd has also said his Iraq vote was an error. The event format did not permit Clinton to respond to the remarks by Edwards and Dodd.

Their comments were mild by the standards of the exchange unleashed by Hollywood mogul David Geffen, who once backed Bill Clinton but now supports his wife's top rival, Sen. Barack Obama.

Geffen told New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd that while "everybody in politics lies," the former president and his wife "do it with such ease, it's troubling."

The Clinton campaign quickly demanded that Obama denounce the comments and called on him to give back Geffen's $2,300 contribution.

Campaigning in Iowa, Obama refused.

"It's not clear to me why I'd be apologizing for someone else's remark," the Illinois senator said.

"My suspicion is that the voters of Iowa are probably more concerned about what both myself and Senator Clinton think about Iraq, health care and jobs," Obama told reporters in a brief news conference at the Iowa Statehouse.

For her part, Clinton sidestepped questions, leaving the issue to her aides to discuss.

"I'm just going to stay focused on my campaign and I'm going to run a positive campaign about the issues that affect the people in our country," she told The Associated Press in an interview in Nevada where she was participating a candidate forum.

The Clinton team, nonetheless, seemed eager to continue the attack. With Obama in Iowa, aides arranged for former Iowa attorney general Bonnie Campbell to criticize him in a conference call with reporters.

In the newspaper interview, Geffen also said Bill Clinton is "a reckless guy" and he does not think Hillary Clinton can bring the country together during a time of war, no matter how smart or ambitious she is.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs later added another criticism of Clinton.

"It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina state Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because 'he's black,"' Gibbs' statement said.

Ford later apologized. The Clinton campaign said it disagreed with Ford, but the senator has embraced his support.

[katg21]

"Whe MS Clinton says we should get national health care within 10 years, she is giving a concrete goal--unlike Bush and the rest."
Posted by goldesprit at 07:26 PM : Feb 22, 2007

She'll say anything to get your vote. I remember the wonderful healthcare plan she proposed back in the 90's as first lady; wouldn't work then, won't work now. Open your eyes and see her for what Geffen says she is, a liar.

[lady66]

i think that politicians need to grow up and their age not their shoes size. I am not impress with all that mudslinging between candidate. do you think that the way to get vote by thrashing each other or diigging for dirt to make the other party bad. I say shame on them and once again Grow up for pete sake.

[rhs648]

It is too early to rule out the Republicans for 2008. The Republicans could gain back the few seats it would take in either house to again become the majority. Secondly, the Republicans could again win the presidential election. Much can happen between now and the 2008 elections. Some exemples include: Another terrorist attack in America, an improved economy, fierce infighting in either political party during the primaries, an improvement in the way the war goes in Iraq, scandals that evolve with the candidates, the mood of the American people,
etc. In reference to Senator Lieberman, Connecticut is the only state with more Independants than Democrats or Republicans. It was the independants who reelected Lieberman. Perhaps he truly represents the people of his state.

[jinnis-2009]

Gore and Richardson are the experienced progressive ticket that can win in 2008! Save your donations for them.

[newsjeff-2009]

I would like to make a comment to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: Let us Democrats be the party that can get along, let us not be the party of bickering and winning like has happened before in both the Republican party and the Democrat Party in elections. Let Liberman bail on the Democrats if he wants; if Liberman wants to ignore the way the majority of the public feel about the war, he can watch is approval ratings drop like a rock. I understand that Democrat primary races have to happen, but Obama and Clinton, hey both of you can do a lot to help the future of America, but I would like to see Obama and Hillary Clinton work together and get along before and after the primaries. I would like to see a great Democrat Election Victory in 2008, in the presidental race,senate race,congressional and governor races as well, but we need "Democrat Unity" in all 50 states, we do not need democrats bad-mouthing and feuding with other democrats. If any democrats out there disagree with me, perhaps you look at what Republican Unity and Republican victories in 2004 have done, or more like look at the mess the U.S. is in right now, because of GOP victories in 2004, we don't need this again.

[scott4261]

I would really vote for any of the Democratic candidates except for Joe Biden (who has no chance of getting nominated anyway), EVEN Hillary. And I think Barack Obama will motivate inactive voters to the polls. But I also feel that way about John Edwards, who I believe has tapped into progressive populism with a passion that I haven't seen since Robert F. Kennedy. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. For a political junkie like me, 2008 is going to be a very interesting year!

[rhs648]

National health care will lead to a mediocre health care system in America. The cost will go up, rationing will be common, and it may takes months to get the treatment people need. Before you jump on the band wagon, take a cereful look at ther British and Canadian national health plans. Canadians flock to America for health care. If Canadian national health care is so great, why do Canadians come to America for their health care. I, for one, want to choose my doctors and health plan and not be forced into a mediocre health care system.

[rhs648]

When Hillary said, "I'm just going to stay focused on my campaign and I'm going to run a positive campaign about the issues that affect the people in our country," you had better believe that this will be one of the dirtiest campaigns in American history. With the Clintons, yes means no and no means yes. Watch your back at all times.

[hawksprings]

THE HUGE PEACE RALLY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 17 IN WASHINGTON HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

SPREAD THE WORD.

[goldesprit]

Whe MS Clinton says we should get national health care within 10 years, she is giving a concrete goal--unlike Bush and the rest.

I am certain, that if it can be done sooner--she would like to do that and will work towards that.

The same people who would critisize the 10 year statement--would call her a lier if she said she could do it in a year.

Or exactly 3 years.

At least we know she really does want national health care--which the others may easily want less--but SAY they want more--without any track record.

Republicans will say that Hillary Clinton "failed at health care"--and this is ioncorrect, and they know it.

She tried valliantly with desperate vicious Republican opposition and the Republicans stamped all over her efforts.

Now she wants to keep trying--and the same folks point to how she is supposed to have single-handedly "lost" at changing health care "last time".

These people probably watch their first born try to walk--and slap them down whae the first step isn't like a marine storming a beach.

Either that, or they are crooks with an agenda.