Obama Seeks To End "Tit-For-Tat" Politics

(CBS/AP)  Fresh off a spat with rival Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he'd like to see an end to the "tit-for-tat" that dominates politics.

The Obama and Clinton campaigns fired off dueling press releases this week over a top Hollywood donor who was a supporter of Bill Clinton but is backing Obama in this race.

The Clinton campaign demanded that Obama return DreamWorks studio co-founder David Geffen's money after Geffen criticized the Clintons as dishonest, among other things. Obama declined, and his spokesman criticized Clinton in return for accepting the support of a South Carolina lawmaker who said Obama can't win because he's black.

Obama told donors at a Houston fundraiser Thursday night that the nation will remain at a standstill "if we continue to engage in small and divisive politics and tit-for-tat."

"Our country is at a crossroads right now," he said, citing problems in Iraq and domestically with education, energy and health care. "It's not as if we don't know what the solutions are. What's missing is the inability of our leadership to develop consensus."

And in Austin, Texas, in the rain — with no umbrella and no ambiguity — Obama told a large crowd in on Friday that he got into this campaign to change politics, and that is what he intends to do, CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger reports.

"I know washington needs to change and I think I can be an agent for change in Washington," he said.

Meanwhile, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said Friday that he relishes the infighting that has consumed two of his potential Democratic opponents, Sens. Clinton and Obama.

"It's great, isn't it?" Romney said to peals of laughter from crowd of employees at a solar-related equipment plant on the newly declared candidate's first visit to the leadoff presidential primary state. "I love to see it when it happens on the other side."

The former Massachusetts governor described his leading Republican rivals, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as "friends" and "national heroes," before adding, "I respect them. I'm sure we'll disagree on issues from time to time, but I doubt you'll see the rancor that apparently may exist elsewhere."

Obama was speaking to about 300 people gathered at the Communication Workers of America union hall. Although the event was advertised as requiring a minimum $100 contribution, lower amounts were accepted at the door.

The campaign would not say how much Obama raised at the event. He also visited St. Louis earlier in the day to raise money.

[dallison7]

DENIAL is NOT a river in Egypt!
Posted by scott4261


Nope, it's the sound a chimp makes when it's cornered.

[hawksprings]

I still want to know between Obama and Hillary which one is t i t and which one is tat...

[j-whitman]

Lieberman,,, Have you ever figured out why Bush want's the Sunni's (UAE)to control New York & New Jersy's air space ??? -- 9/11 Terrorists where Sunni' & most where from the UAE.. -- And, why are we fighting a Sunni Civil War for the Sunni's ??

[jerr11]

Why are these two guys at each other's throats?

Neither of them have a chance of winning the presidency anyway!

[geneonlbk]

Cheney is acting like a madman. I think we all can see that he has been almost totally wrong on his neocon blusterings about how they will come and eat our children.

[homespunlady]

There's an old science experiment I've heard of where a frog placed in hot water will jump out right away but one placed in cool or lukewarm water which is slowly heated will sit there and die in the eventually boiling water. It seems that is what the poor and middle class are facing. A lot of us are ignoring the increasing corruption, standard of living gap, lack and waste of readiness etc. Without a huge wakeup call they'll sit there until it's too late if it isn't already. My granddaughter will be paying for the mistakes of the current administration and there are so many other important concerns that are being ignored.

[agnim]

"The British, the closest to an ally in this fiasco are pulling out.

Posted by homespunlady at 03:36 PM : Feb 24, 2007"

Until they DO pull out and we know their next move, PUT NOTHING PAST THE EVER-DECEPTIVE BRITS!

The brits may just be re-deploying for Iran confrontation, and are trying to mollify british public opinion FOR THE MOMENT!

Like I said, putting NOTHING pass the deceptive brits.
Unless those soldiers are out of Iraq and standing on British soil keeping their arses quiet,
THEY ARE "STAYING THE COURSE" or "staying some course" of war!

[lieberman181]

J=Lostman,

Have you ever figured out why you support Islamofascism and wish a defeat of America?

Grow Up, stooge.

[scott4261]

I've said often that at the underbelly of No Child Left Behind was to force a mandate the local school districts could not afford. And teaching to a pass a standardized test is not really teaching at all. The effect has been the dumbing down of the nation. Couple that with a media that does not ask the hard questions and you have a large part of the electorate that is not intellectually curious.

[j-whitman]

Our country's Educational System now ranks 17 out of 22 of all industrial nations -- I don't think our nation will survive, unless we take our nation out of the hands of the GOP entirely.