Clinton Shifts Focus From Obama To Bush

Democrat Says President Has Lost Touch With People On Day Of His Final State Of The Union Address

(AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton relegated her chief Democratic rival to the rhetorical sidelines Monday and focused her criticism on President Bush, saying he had lost touch with the concerns of an anxious public.

In a speech to more than 1,000 people jammed in a gymnasium, Clinton did not refer to the fight with Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Her audience, which included an equal number listening in an adjoining room, roared with approval when the former first lady took note of the Republican president's dwindling time in office.

"Tonight is a red-letter night in American history," she said. "It is the last time George Bush will give the State of the Union. Next year it will be a Democratic president giving it."

Bush is isolated at the White House, Clinton said, inviting the president to join her in meeting the kind of people she has come across during her campaign. "Sit at tables at diners and hear what's on America's mind," she suggested.

"I have been in and out of the homes and work places and community centers across America. What they want to talk to me about is the insecurity they feel and the fears they are confronting," she said.

The competition between Clinton and Obama has grown increasingly testy heading into next week's enormous round of primaries. But at least on this day, Clinton took on Bush, using the State of the Union address to highlight her differences with the commander in chief.

Bush is certain, she said, to assert that the state of the nation is strong even though "we are sliding into a recession. We have as lot of concerns we need to deal with," including a mortgage crisis that is driving people from their homes.

In Clinton's estimation, Bush "has never understood is that the State of the Union is not about a speech in Washington. It is about the lives of the American people who feel they are moving toward the American dream."

The woeful housing market, she said, is evidence of the economic insecurity that millions of people are sensing - concerns she said are not registering in the White House.

Before returning to Capitol Hill, she sounded the same theme before 2,000 cheering supporters at Springfield College in Massachusetts.

"We see as we look around our country, the state of our union is one of economic anxiety, it's concern about fairness, worries about that's happening to our country," Clinton said. "There couldn't be a starker comparison between what I believe and we have heard from President Bush and the Washington Republicans."

Responding to the criticism of Bush, Republican National Committee spokesman Alex Conant said, "It's no surprise that after Senator Clinton loses a major primary and endorsement, her instinct is to go on the attack. Today she is returning to what she does best: Attacking, blaming, criticizing, and accusing her political opponents."

Obama easily defeated Clinton in Saturday's South Carolina primary and he picked up the endorsement of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on Monday.

Clinton earned the backing of Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who planned to introduce her at an appearance after Tuesday's primary vote. Last fall, Clinton and other Democratic candidates signed a pledge not to campaign in the state because it broke party rules by moving its contest ahead to Jan. 29 in an attempt to play a bigger role in the picking a nominee.

"Hillary will be a president who will take the voice of all Americans - and all Floridians - to the White House," according to his remarks, obtained in advanced of delivery by The Associated Press.

The Democratic National Committee has said it would refuse to seat the state's delegation at the party's presidential convention in August. It is expected that the Democratic nominee will try to reverse that decision because of Florida's crucial role in the general election. Clinton already is on record favoring that step.

[terrorislam6]

did teddy "chappaquiddick" kennedy pick hussein because that is the hot chick???

[boatdocster]

Jack3213

You are spot on. The Clinton''s have broken their pledges about delegates and campaigning in states that moved up their primaries; now Obama and Edwards should be free to do the same.

Hilliary and Bill, making DEM pledges and then breaking them reeks of desperation. You''ve lost my vote.

[redhoffer]

It is not racist to refer to a persons alleged political views as a fairy tale.
Obama lost my support when he didnt speak out against the fake reports that Bill Clinton said anything racist, and he has fed the repubber machine. Bill Clinton is an american hero: amazing foreign policy, great economy. Bush is awful at all of those.
Still, it has been proven Obama will screw this up if nominated, he has shown his lack of dignity.
Stand up Obama, Mr Clintons comments were not racist. Reveal yourself to be a jerk otherwise.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by andersenme at 02:26 PM : Jan 29, 2008

Excuse me, but it was Barak Obama who drew the line in the sands of racism. Everybody, even blacks know the statements about racism regarding the Clintons was false. It was Daddy Al, and Daddy Jessie that Obama sic''d on the Clintons because they stated that LBJ was the legislator that made MLK''s dreams possible.

You people need to read up sometime!!!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by gunownerdan at 01:44 PM : Jan 29, 2008

Nobody is going to take our guns away. Hillary is for the safe use and storage of guns, she is for registering guns so they can be traced when used by criminals, she is for keeping guns out of the hands of children and psychopaths. Not anywhere has Hillary Clinton tried to take anybody''s guns away.

That''s hogwarsh!!!!

[andersenme]

DEMOCRATS WHO INSPIRE

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Adlai Stevenson
John F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Barack Obama

DEMOCRATS WHO USE RACIAL APPEALS TO GET ELECTED

Strom Thurmond
James O. Eastland
George C. Wallace
Bill & Hillary Clinton

[rowdytexan2]

Hillary Clinton didn''t go to Florida on false pretenses. She went to a scheduled fund raiser. While she was there she did not campaign except at the fundraiser. There''s nothing in any rules to stop that.

To ignore the votes of one state over another is ignorant, and the party needs to revise its rules.

Hillary gets my vote because she has spent her adult life trying to do good things for this country. She has taken her stances, she had made her votes, and she sticks by her votes.

Neither Obama nor Edwards even had a plan for anything until a month ago when they were booed at the debates. Then they decided maybe they better get a plan, and took hers and jiggled them around and presented them like they were the ONLY ones with a plan.

Keep up the good fight Hillary!

[gunownerdan]

Both Obama and Clinton say law-abiding citizens should not be trusted to own common handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Meanwhile they both rely on armed guards who carry fully-automatic MACHINE GUNS every single day!

"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual ... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of."
- Suzanna Gratia-Hupp

www.A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com

[eddynewhope]

I find it terrifying that some women are advocating voting for Hillary Clinton simply because she is a woman. Consider for a moment the divisive effect that the Clinton campaign has had on the party over the past weeks. Is this approach really what''s best for the country? Beyond that, is the gender dynamic that the Clintons embody really representative of a strong woman? You''ve got a womanizing husband who lied to his family and the country about his womanizing, then this same man gives Hillary''s concession speech for her, attacks her opposition for her, does her dirty work for her, etc. etc. Is this the kind of woman that represents a bold step forward? Isn''t choosing Hillary because she is a woman just the same as voting against her because of her gender? So strange.

[eddynewhope]

Folks aren''t against Clinton because she''s a woman. Folks are against Clinton because she is a Clinton. It''s doing everyone including the Clintons a disservice to oversimplify the issue to "people don''t like Hillary because she''s a woman". I could care less about man or woman - I don''t want another Clinton after the divisive effect they had on the nation in the 90s, and the divisive effect they''ve had on the Dem throughout this campaign. More divisive, win-at-all-costs politics is the surest way to ensure that NOTHING changes in Washington.