Clinton Challenges Obama In Dem Face-Off

Says Iowa Winner Changed His Positions On Health Care And "A Number Of Issues"

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democratic presidential front-runner no longer, accused campaign rival Barack Obama of changing his positions on health care and "a number of issues" Saturday night in a debate three days before the New Hampshire primary.

"I have been entirely consistent in my position," responded Obama, adding that he and Clinton have a "philosophical disagreement" over her proposal to require Americans to purchase health insurance or face a penalty from the government.

CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs called the debate "possibly the penultimate moment" in the campaign. "Twelve months of indirect arguments over change burst into a two-on one, sometimes personal exchange between the three leading candidates. Clinton needs a win in New Hampshire and tonight's exchange demonstrated that in stark terms."

"You said you would vote against the Patriot Act. You came to the Senate, you voted for it. You said you would vote against the Iraq war, you came to the Senate and voted for" funding, she said.

"I think we should get into examining everybody's record," she said.

Obama's candidacy has soared on his pledge to bring change to Washington, and Clinton sought to blunt his advantage. "I think we're all advocating change," she said.

Edwards, second-place finisher in Iowa, worked throughout the debate to align himself with Obama as an advocate for change in Washington, and described Clinton as a defender of the status quo. "Every time he speaks out for change, every time I fight for change, the forces of status quo are going to attack," Edwards said.

"I didn't hear these kind of attacks from Sen. Clinton when she was ahead," he said. "Now that she's not, we hear them."

There were a few moments of humor.

"I've been in hostage negotiations that are a lot more civil than this," Richardson, a one-time diplomat, said at one point.

Asked what she could say to voters who don't find her likable enough, and seem to like Obama more, Clinton drew laughter. "Well, that hurts my feelings. ... But I'll try to go on."

She said she agreed that Obama was likable, then added, "I don't think I'm that bad."

That drew a wry response from Obama, who said, "You're likable enough, Hillary."

But with the first primary only three days away, Clinton had little time to made the case she hoped would knock Obama off stride.

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CBSNews.com Analysis: Clinton Digs In; Romney Takes Foes' Digs
The Republican N.H. Debate: Romney Takes Most Fire

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Challenged on health care, Obama acknowledged that he has said if he were designing a system from scratch, he would set up a single-payer system that would give coverage to all. He said that is impractical, given the current system in which so many people receive their insurance from employers.

Obama's health care plan relies on government financial incentives and cost-cutting to help the uninsured afford coverage. But unlike Clinton and Edwards, he does not require adults to buy coverage or pay a penalty if they fail.

"I disagree with that because as I go around, I don't meet people who avoid getting health care. The problem is they can't afford it," he said.

The opening moments of the debate produced agreement on Obama's summertime statement, controversial at the time, that he would take action against terrorist leader Osama bin Laden if he had actionable intelligence that he was hiding in Pakistan and the government there did not act.

"As much as possible," the United States should seek agreement from Pakistanis, Obama added.

Edwards agreed. "If I as president of the United States know where Osama bin Laden is I would go get him," the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee said.

Likewise, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said that if diplomacy failed and the Pakistani government was incapable of moving against the terrorist leader, "then you do take that action."

Clinton agreed, saying, "At some point, probably when the missiles have been launched, the Pakistani government has to know they are on the way." She said that was important to make sure Pakistan didn't jump to the conclusion that it was under attack from India, its longtime rival in southwest Asia.

During campaigning Saturday, a noticeably more freewheeling Clinton subtly likened Obama to Democratic nemesis President Bush while Edwards mocked the idea of a nice candidate bringing change.

Edwards hinted he would welcome a second-place finish to Obama, which advisers said they hoped would turn the contest into a two-man race and take Clinton out of the game. Edwards narrowly edged Clinton for second place in Iowa, which he couched as an upset that he would be happy to replicate here.

What happened Thursday in the Iowa caucus "is going to happen here in New Hampshire," Edwards told an overflow crowd at Lebanon High School auditorium. Even though he effectively acknowledged he wouldn't win the state, he was relaxed and playful, shucking his suit jacket after the speech and shooting hoops with his shirt tail hanging out while the crowd applauded.

The heightened campaign activity came as the candidates gathered for the debate Saturday night. Clinton and Edwards hope to stop Obama, the victor in Iowa, from capturing the first-in-the-nation primary, which would only add to his momentum as he pursues the nomination.

Richardson, who finished a distant fourth in Iowa and got just 4 percent in the poll, also participated. The survey conducted Jan. 4-5 had a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

Mark Penn, Clinton's chief strategist and pollster, touted the poll as good news in a blog post. He pointed out that after John Kerry and Al Gore won the Iowa caucuses, they saw bigger jumps than Obama, who was at 30 points in a CNN poll of New Hampshire voters taken at the end of December.

The debate was sponsored by ABC News and Facebook.

[trinitron01]

Hello People! You have a real chance to get the best man in office with a perfect record in congress-- none of them come close to Dr. Ron Paul. I have compared them. I didn''''t know who was who and didnt trust the media machine. Look up ronpaul2008.com and his issues and record, and you will see for yourself. Don''''t be fooled by the imitators, there is only one guy that can really make a difference for the people. Also Dr. Ron Paul is on TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO - Tonight!!!

[prinzowhales]

I am neither for or agaionst the war. I am for peace in the middle east and I hope we are successful. It seems dems such as you expect failure despite recent favorable news recently. I hope for success while realizing we may not succeed. I guess I''''m an optimist while most dems are pessimists
Posted by alanrobisch2 at 07:38 PM : Jan 06, 2008
--------------------------

There has already been "failure". We have attacked and invaded a sovereign nation without justification.
Any military victory we may achieve will be a victory for international criminality. Neither Optimism nor Pessimism play in part in this--only the reality of hundreds of thousands of human beings being murdered and trillions of dollars being wasted and hundreds of thousands of refugees...the disabled and traumatized. That is the reality of the Demopublican war.

[demwatcher]

"That''''s why if females at this time want a woman president, they need to get off their arse and vote for one, instead of allowing the men blindside their candidate.

and

Actually my statement still stands. Men will pounce on any excuse to discredit a female politician. That''''s not male bashing, it''''s just how alpha personalities work. So many lies about there about Hillary it''''s pathetic. It may take a couple more generations before we see a female president, if the females don''''t get out and vote for HIllary.

Posted by RowdyTexan2"

You must''ve had a big helpin'' of ignorance for supper if you believe that women are stupid enough to vote for someone JUST BECAUSE the candidate is female.

Oh, and alpha-personalities DO NOT need to bash anyone. Their dominance is self-evident and proven by deeds and strength of will.

You are mixing ego and leadership.

[rowdytexan2]

Wink wink, RealPatriot, wink wink, Tucker...Ms. Dole is female, what can I say...wink wink...little woman didn''t have a ghosts chance in hell of getting elected.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by tuckerndfw at 09:08 PM : Jan 06, 2008

I almost voted for Kinky, too, but had a lot of good experience with Carole on local projects.

Actually my statement still stands. Men will pounce on any excuse to discredit a female politician. That''s not male bashing, it''s just how alpha personalities work. So many lies about there about Hillary it''s pathetic. It may take a couple more generations before we see a female president, if the females don''t get out and vote for HIllary.

[realpatriot1]

tucker,

Liddy Dole is my Senator and she''s a worthless piece of ***. A do nothing Senator would be a luxury compared to a Senator who actively works against the best interests of her state.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by tuckerndfw at 08:14 PM : Jan 06, 2008

You seem to think everybody on this board is a pathological liar but you, Tucker.

Don''t know why I find that strange. You lie that much yourself?

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by tuckerndfw at 08:14 PM : Jan 06, 20

Actually, I did! Libby was quite a lady politician.

And I worked in Ann Richardson''s campaign.

Supported Carol Rylander too, even when she switched parties.

Supported Dolph Briscoe and Mark White, too.

Lotsa good politicians out there, Tucker.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Candide777 at 01:10 PM : Jan 06, 2008

The answer is pretty clear. US males are only a smidgin ahead of Islamic extremists when it comes to females. If you could go back and see all the posts, they''ve accused her of fornicating with goats as well as being a closet Nazi. It really doesn''t matter which female it is...go read their posts about all of the female politicians.

Remember, it wasn''t THAT long ago that we got the right to vote here. And it hasn''t been that long since Sandra Day O''Connor was the first woman allowed on the Supreme Court. Southern Baptist men still don''t allow females to pray in their congregations. It hasn''t been that long that equal/work, equal/pay was instigated, and it still totally enforced.

So expecting there to be more than 5% of males in the US secure enough in themselves to support a female candidate is till asking a little much of our country.

That''s why if females at this time want a woman president, they need to get off their arse and vote for one, instead of allowing the men blindside their candidate.

[alanrobisch]

Democrats and Republicans! If you are against the war then you have three anti-war candidates to choose from--Paul, Kucinich and Gravel. If not, support the war and vote for one of the others...it simply doesn''''t matter.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Prinzowhales at 05:36 PM : Jan 06, 2008
+ report abuse

I am neither for or agaionst the war. I am for peace in the middle east and I hope we are successful. It seems dems such as you expect failure despite recent favorable news recently. I hope for success while realizing we may not succeed. I guess I''m an optimist while most dems are pessimists

[prinzowhales]

Democrats and Republicans! If you are against the war then you have three anti-war candidates to choose from--Paul, Kucinich and Gravel. If not, support the war and vote for one of the others...it simply doesn''t matter.

[bhappy2-2]

What we need is a candidate that supports AMERICA. We have had plenty of politicians who support ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS. We need to start DEPORTING ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS and HEAVILY FINE those who support ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS. We MUST SECURE OUR BORDERS and rid OUR COUNTRY of these parasitic ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS. If our politicians refuse to do so WE, THE CITIZENS OF AMERICA, need to REPLACE the treasonous politicians with ones who SUPPORT AMERICA. Failure to act now could result in The United States of America becoming North Mexico. They have an army here already, they only need to arm them. Those who claim "they don''''t want to take over" need to look around, see the way they have ALREADY TAKEN OVER our jobs.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! GET RID OF THESE ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS, NOW!

[sgreen2006]

Polls, Polls, Polls: Obama vs. Clinton
Let''s put together all the polls released today and yesterday (carried in the last two days or so, most including Saturday).
##7NEWS/Suffolk Univ.(Sun): Obama 33% -----Clinton 35%

#Rasmussen Reports (Sun): Obama 39%---Clinton 27%.

#American Research Group (Sat):Obama 38%---Clinton 26%

#Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby (Sun): Obama 30---Clinton 31%

##MSNBC/Mason-Dixon (Sun): Obama 33%---Clinton 31%

##CNN/WMUR (Sat): Obama 33%---Clinton 33%

If we average all these polls, we should get a close to accurate picture: Obama leads Clinton by about 4%. But this math is true only from brute statistical/ mathematical perspective. If you like to believe the less known groups'' survey is truer against the establishment surveys, as was the case in Iowa, Obama could be beating Clinton by 10-12% in New Hampshire.

[sgreen2006]

Polls, Polls, Polls: Obama vs. Clinton
Let''s put together all the polls released today and yesterday (carried in the last two days or so, most including Saturday).
##7NEWS/Suffolk Univ.(Sun): Obama 33% -----Clinton 35%

#Rasmussen Reports (Sun): Obama 39%---Clinton 27%.

#American Research Group (Sat):Obama 38%---Clinton 26%

#Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby (Sun): Obama 30---Clinton 31%

##MSNBC/Mason-Dixon (Sun): Obama 33%---Clinton 31%

##CNN/WMUR (Sat): Obama 33%---Clinton 33%

If we average all these polls, we should get a close to accurate picture: Obama leads Clinton by about 4%. But this math is true only from brute statistical/ mathematical perspective. If you like to believe the less known groups'' survey is truer against the establishment surveys, as was the case in Iowa, Obama could be beating Clinton by 10-12% in New Hampshire.

[sgreen2006]

Polls, Polls, Polls: Obama vs. Clinton
Let''s put together all the polls released today and yesterday (carried in the last two days or so, most including Saturday).
##7NEWS/Suffolk Univ.(Sun): Obama 33% -----Clinton 35%

#Rasmussen Reports (Sun): Obama 39%---Clinton 27%.

#American Research Group (Sat):Obama 38%---Clinton 26%

#Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby (Sun): Obama 30---Clinton 31%

##MSNBC/Mason-Dixon (Sun): Obama 33%---Clinton 31%

##CNN/WMUR (Sat): Obama 33%---Clinton 33%

If we average all these polls, we should get a close to accurate picture: Obama leads Clinton by about 4%. But this math is true only from brute statistical/ mathematical perspective. If you like to believe the less known groups'' survey is truer against the establishment surveys, as was the case in Iowa, Obama could be beating Clinton by 10-12% in New Hampshire.

[realpatriot1]

tucker,

Were you 7 Pesos in a previous life?

[samthetvcat]

"samthetvcat writes: "Dam I thought we really had a chance to get the white house back."
................................
...........

I can''''t beleive your even trying to make the arguement that clinton is more electable. No one can be that dumb to think that."
Posted by jedi08

I didn''t write that - I was quoting forbesf.

[erasmus6]

Your voting system is whacko. I don''t think I have ever seen anything like it.

Hillary was way ahead and now that Iowa, ONE state, is for Obama, she is way behind???

[candide777]

The nation is ready for a female president...we aren''''t ready for her!!! She can''''t handle the pressure of really being treated equally. And she plays dirtier than any politician to ever hold a place in politics...why everyone is scared to really put her feet to the fire is beyond understanding.
Posted by likeitis5050 at 11:52 AM : Jan 06, 2008

Why all the irrational hatred of a woman who is clearly ten times smarter than the current idiot-in-chief and who wants to serve her country? I don''t get it -- you can disagree with her, yes, but why hate her so much? It''s not like she has committed impeachable and treasonous offenses against our country like our current president and vice president.

[likeitis5050]

She admitted they had the chance to get Bin Laden and didn''''t, why didn''''t anyone pick up on that??!! DISGRACEFUL.

Posted by Jack3213

Good question. She''s been handled with kid gloves from the first day. She is allowed to cast all the nasty little comments she wants but I have yet to hear anyone in the media or in the moderator seat bring up anything to trip her up. Any tripping she''s done...she stepped into herself and the OTHER candidates latched onto...not the moderator. Why isn''t she questioned on how she can claim to have so much inside knowledge when she didn''t have security clearance? Why hasn''t the name Sandy Berger come back to bite her in her a.zz? It''s the same old song and dance...touch her the wrong way and she yells ''bias against women''. The nation is ready for a female president...we aren''t ready for her!!! She can''t handle the pressure of really being treated equally. And she plays dirtier than any politician to ever hold a place in politics...why everyone is scared to really put her feet to the fire is beyond understanding.