Clinton: "This Campaign Goes On!"

Following Losses, Former First Lady Criticizes Obama, Appeals To Working-Class Voters

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton dismissed her Democratic rival Barack Obama on Wednesday as leading a movement with little to show for his eloquence and promises.

"It's time to get real about how we actually win this election," Clinton declared a fundraising event at Hunter College. "It's time that we move from good words to good works, from sound bites to sound solutions ... This campaign goes on!"

With her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on the ropes after ten straight losses to Obama, Clinton went beyond her frequent complaint that the Illinois senator lacked the experience to be president. She depicted his candidacy as a "campaign about a campaign" while casting herself as a champion of the middle class.

"Others might be joining a movement. I'm joining you on the night shift, on the day shift," Clinton said to loud applause and cheers.

The former first lady congratulated Obama for his victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii on Tuesday and acknowledged he had inspired voters to dream again. But she said she was the candidate best suited to fulfill those dreams.

In portraying her rival as more rhetoric than action, Clinton displayed some eloquence of her own.

"We all carry dreams in our hearts, and we need to keep dreaming. Dreaming keeps us hopeful; it lifts our spirits; it sets our sights high," she said. "Without dreams we can't aspire to be great. But without action we cannot turn those dreams into reality."

With polls showing Obama making inroads among white working class voters that have long been Clinton's base, the New York senator sought to recapture those voters using more eloquent language than usual.

"I know who you are. You pour coffee in the corner restaurant. You fix people's hair. You ring out the cash register," Clinton said. "You stand on the wall late at night defending our nation so the rest of us can sleep. ... You are the parents on the front lines of daily life determined to achieve the American dream."

Her reference to standing on a wall recalled a speech by actor Jack Nicholson, playing a Marine colonel, in the 1992 movie "A Few Good Men." At one point, Nicholson's character tells a young lawyer played by Tom Cruise, "Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? ... You need me on that wall." Nicholson has endorsed Clinton.

Clinton was headed later to Texas, where she is banking on a strong showing in the state's March 4 primary to help save her struggling candidacy. She is also competing hard in Ohio, whose primary is the same day.

"In a presidential campaign marked mostly by sharp turns, surprising development and shattered predictions, the Democratic contest has now become a story of remarkable consistency," CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs said after Obama defeated Clinton in last night's Wisconsin primary. "Obama continues to eat into Clinton's once solid base of support, splitting the vote among women, low and middle income voters and those without college degrees, while maintaining his strong edge among more affluent, educated and younger voters." (Read more of Ververs' analysis.)

Even the Clinton campaign -- normally reluctant to admit any weakness -- is starting to speak differently about their overall chances, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod. A senior Clinton aide said that looking ahead they are "grimly determined."

Former President Bill Clinton acknowledged today that the Texas and Ohio primaries could make or break his wife's candidacy.

The ex-president made the comments during a campaign stop in Galveston. Mr. Clinton spoke to an early-morning crowd of several hundred people from the back of a pickup in the parking lot of the county courthouse.

"This whole nominating process has come down to Texas and Ohio," he said of the two states that share the same primary date next month. "If she wins in Texas and in Ohio, she will win in Pennsylvania and I believe she will win the nomination."

Meanwhile, Obama got the front-runner treatment on Wednesday, picking up a few new friends and drawing criticism from Democratic rival Clinton and Republican foe John McCain.

Obama's friends came in the form of endorsements from at least four superdelegates, pushing him a bit closer to the 2,025 needed to secure the presidential nomination, and two unions - the 1.4 million-member Teamsters and the 65,000-member International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.

The union endorsements provide crucial support in upcoming primary states with a strong labor presence - Ohio on March 4 and Pennsylvania on April 22.

With fresh momentum off his wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii on Tuesday, Obama drew 17,000 to a rally in Dallas, then headed into preparations for a critical debate with Clinton on Thursday in Austin, Texas.

Obama told his boisterous audience to reject "those who would tell you not to believe."

"Today Senator Clinton told us that there is a choice in this race," Obama said. "And you know, I couldn't agree with her more. But contrary to what she was saying, it's not a choice between speeches and solutions. It's a choice between politics that offers more of the same divisions and distractions that didn't work in South Carolina and didn't work in Wisconsin and will not work in Texas."

He said he will offer the starkest contrast with McCain in the general election.

"It's a choice between having a debate with John McCain about who has the most experience in Washington or having a debate about who's most likely to change Washington," he said. "It's a choice between going into the general election with Republicans and independents already united against us, or running a campaign that has already united Americans of all parties around the agenda for change."

Meanwhile, McCain, near clinching the Republican nomination, stepped up his Ohio efforts with an appearance in Yellow Springs in southwest Ohio, an overnight visit to Toledo, and Thursday morning campaigning in Perrysburg planned.

McCain, who watched his Wisconsin primary victory from Columbus on Tuesday night, also was stepping up his criticism of Obama. He accused him on Wednesday of engaging in "Washington doublespeak" over accepting public financing and questioned Obama's experience or judgment on foreign policy and defense issues.

A senior aide to McCain says there's a very simple reason why they're singling out Obama.

"We're prepared for both, but since Senator Obama has been on a winning streak and he's been dominating the news, we've decided to address our differences with him," Charlie Black said.

[samrlim]

G O H I L L A R Y

D O N '' T S T O P F I G H T I N G F O R

A M E R I C A!

W E L O V E Y O U!!

[basswomen]

The race for Hillary is hardly over. I would hope at some point all of you that are voting for Obama, step back and really take a look at who you are voting for. A Jr. Senator. Would you want a junior surgeon working on your heart, compared to someone with experience. Come on, this is truly a no brainer. We are at war, people and soldiers are dying, Simply, stop listening to Obama''s brainwashing words, a tent revival of hope and change messages and compare what he has actually done with Hillary''s accomplishments. She is well thought of by the senators and congress, the people that vote to make things really happen. I don''t care that Hillary is a women, its not about gender, its about 35 years experience and she could walk in the Oval office tomorrow and handle our country without a learning curve. She knows the players already, and has been introduced to all the country heads we are working with. Obama is going to come up against the republican slam machine and they will expose any and everything about him. Obama has some baggage, and the press and the republicans are going to have fun. It will get tough if Obama is the selected candidate for the democrats. I think like so many others, that the republicans want him in, and who knows how many republican votes are being put on Obama to get the win.. Whats really going to happen in Nov?

[infidel_us]

Clinton: "This Campaign Goes On!"

And the band continued to play while the Titanic sank. You go, girlfriend! Keep dreaming. At this point, you are only in slightly better shape than Huckster.....Done, but can''t face it.

[vet_sk]

Another problem with Chelsea playing this game is that then she claims she does not have to answer questions to the press - as if she still has the immunity of a minor in the Whitehouse.

I hope Hillary and Bill drop out of the race before it gets too raucus and does damage to the party. Bill was a decent President but he certainly has not been doing anything good for his legacy in the last month. Perhaps with his comments yesterday, he''ll be able to sway Hillary to bow and do a graceful exit.

Hillary would be a good senator for years to come.

[bareed1226]

Vet_Sk..... the clintons sent Chelsea to give the 21 year old her special treatment wink wink in order to gaurantee he votes for them.... then get the gaul to fry David Shuster for a quip about pimping the daughter out.... seems hypocriful.. but hey these are the clintons...

[zootallures2]

What a show... like the fake wrestling?

They already picked Hillary... so stay out of government buildings in Oklahoma and don''t join any armed churches. Is she gonna bring back Geraldo, Donahue and the CIA nazi chair throwers?

[zootallures2]

Vote...ha ha ha ha

It''s a non-stop disco and high school of brain dead rich popular people picking the ones who make the rests sh*t stink the least.

[formrusmcsgt]

Meanwhile, Obama got the front-runner treatment on Wednesday, picking up a few new friends and drawing criticism from Democratic rival Clinton and Republican foe John McCain.
---

Politics is like a poker game:

The winners are sitting back, telling jokes and smoking cigars while the losers scream "shut up and deal!"

[vet_sk]

Has anyone else seen the 21 year old Super delegate on TV claiming that he has been a party activist for years and then has the gaul to actually say he knows better then the voters? What party is he in? I am having to try real hard not to say anything too negative here but it is getting difficult. Even Bill Clinton knowing that Hillary is going down is saying that Hillary has to win both Ohio and Texas - apparently signaling that Hillary will not be able to hang onto several hundred supers. This may help Clinton get his stature back which will be useful in getting Obama to the Whitehouse.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Its never a one way street. Too much reality??....or just enough to know how easily it could happen again."
Posted by truth-hurts

I remember quite well, as I lived on Pingree St., and was 8 years old when on one summer night the police came to our neighborhood and started shooting people at random. My parents were in a panic, because they didn''t know where my older brother was. (turns out he was at a friend''s house on the northwest side)

I remember the police unit that was called "stop the robberies, enjoy safe streets" and given the acronym "S.T.R.E.S.S", whose method was to take a young "Black" man at random, shoot him in the head, and leave him dead at a street intersection as a warning for the "rest of us". I remember feeling the general sense that every "White" person we saw in our neighborhood was there for less than good intentions.

I remember reading leaflets tossed from passing cars by the Taylor chapter of the kkk, outlining the tactics (including, by the way anthrax poisoning) they would use in the "coming race war"

I remember that we were pushed past the point of containing our anger at repeated injustices, and was and am still convinced that "burn baby burn" was, at that time, the only way to show our resistance to what probably resembled the occupation of Baghdad today.

[truthspeake2]

I wouldn''''t have wasted time dignifying any answer to the remark and neither would any other minority in this country. Amazing that McCain''''s wife would say anything seeing how she earned her money and status the good old fashion way (like Paris Hilton), by inheriting her father''''s liquor distribution business here in Phoenix (Helmsley) and has never had to work a freakin day in her life so for her, yes, this is a country I''''m sure she is very proud of. I wonder if she is proud of her husbands affair with the lobbyist now. Seems like her marriage and the Clintons marriage is all about convenience and political gains.Where else can one become a millionaire off the backs of other poor folks in something that ought to be illegal like alcohol.

Once again, no smoke, no fire!

OBAMA 2008...RIP Hillary, bigots and the GOP!

[vet_sk]

Folks, I think Hillary may be either signaling that it is all over too and is now looking for an honorable way out or she is trying to justify super delegates to lean towards her. Today when a surrogate for Hillary Clinton said that delegate counting/weighing in Texas %u201Cmakes grown [Hillary] men cry.%u201D

The point is that the inner city African American districts are weighted higher in delegates then more Hispanic districts due to higher historical vote turnout. But we all know that this has been in the news for well over a week. And the Clintons are saying that they just found out about this today. That%u2019s ridiculous; they%u2019ve certainly known well before it hit the press. If they didn%u2019t, then Hillary no longer has an organization fit for a presidential race but with Terry McAuliffe on her staff, please!

I was also feeling like we have this wrapped up for Obama. %u2026But then I thought it is so important that we not feel that way. We must keep campaigning and getting the vote out for Obama. Let%u2019s keep it positive as possible and get this progressive man to the Whitehouse where he can bring a new era to OUR government.

[kesac4650]

Hillary, the Write-in.

[alphaa10-2009]

juwboy said, "However, I enjoyed seeing that pompous a**hole, Dan Rather, being punched in the solar plexus by one of Daley''''s goons!"
---
The issue of press freedom is much more significant than Rather''s personality. I can take or leave him as a TV anchor, but the contributions he made during a critical period of this country were vital-- to restore media attention to its duty to challenge official powers-that-be in the public forum.

As for Mayor Richard Daley, who remembers him, but for the way he regarded most journalists-- with fear and loathing. Daley''s attitudes to the truth and to press coverage in a democracy could be transplanted in an instant to Putin''s Russia, and none would notice any difference.

The day we celebrate goons beating up citizens is the day we lapse into a fascist dictatorship.

[hdinsight]

To drivelphobe:

I can understand your support for Obama. It appears your 40 years of turbulent experience has made you cynical & the Obama message of "HOPE" has touched you & others quite deeply.

I respect your honesty & your courage to come forth and suggest that the "issues aren''t important." However, I strongly disagree. I believe the issues are critically important & immeasurably significant to America''s precarious future.

If we only vote for the person who is "entertaining & glib" - if we only vote for the person we "would like as a neighbor" then we are, in my opinion, doing a disservice to not only our country, but to the world at large. Ancestors who fought hard to form our nation deserve better from us. We owe them prudence.

When selecting the Commander in Chief of our government''s military, it deeply matters who we choose as a leader. As we have witnessed, Bush/Cheney led our country into a preemptive strike in Iraq. Had Gore been in the Oval Office, he might have led our country in a different direction. Given your rationale, the American people would vote for George Clooney for President.

Voting for the future President of the United States is a profound, sobering decision not to be taken lightly. Thank you for your contribution.

[alphaa10-2009]

Truth-Hurts said, "From what I''''v been reading on these forums, there are so many misconceptions about her that I''''m starting to wonder where this stuff is coming from... You said that people hated her original health care plan."
---
Actually, what I wrote was, "But with Hillary, many of the donations come from the very people who-- to this day-- hate Hillary for the healthcare plan she once championed."

The Big Pharma and HMO lobbies now pouring money to Hillary still hate her for her original single payer plan. But even more her ability through that plan to make them do what they promised America they would do voluntarily, and did not-- provide better health products at a bargain cost.

Now, they give her money in a campaign, even while there is a viable GOP opponent. This suggests strongly the Hillary of 1994 is not the Hillary of this campaign.

I am familiar with the Clinton years, too. I remember Travelgate, Whitewater, and all the other Much Ado about Nothings that represented what Gene Lyons detailed in his book, The Hunting of the President, as a political ambush.

From your comments, probably you share with me, chapter and verse, the belief our next president needs to change the way we do business across this country. But that is also why I do not believe Clinton is the one for the task.

[juwboy]

aalpha10 said:

"The superdelegates now become party machine politics at its worst, reminding many of the way the Democratic party handles the 1968 Chicago convention ... "

I was about to say the same thing, but you''ve done it for me. I didn''t need reminding of the way Mayor Richard Daley stage-managed the entire Convention from beginning to end.

However, I enjoyed seeing that pompous a**hole, Dan Rather, being punched in the solar plexus by one of Daley''s goons!

[jswilliams451]

It''s already over. Its been over ever since Iowa. The only thing remaining is for Hillary, her supporters who have vested interests in her, and Party insiders to try to steal the Democratic nomination from Obama. Somehow, someway. Which will virtually guarantee a McCain victory in the Fall.

Because young people will stay home. Blacks will stay home. And half the Democrats will vote McCain rather than vote for a political hack like Hillary.

[alphaa10-2009]

Urban Legend Killer--

Obama--
Here is an article on Obama at Snopes.com, a website devoted to fact-checking and exposure of "urban legends"--
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp
Here is another Snopes.com article on the most common rumors about Obama--
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp

McCain--
Here is a news article on John McCain at abcnews.com, detailing his "offenses" against the Bush GOP--
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/limbaugh-mccain.html
Yet, any fact check will show McCain is more conservative than Bush, according to the Heritage Foundation. Moreover, McCain votes as he views the issue, not as Bush does (does this make Bush more "liberal"?). See www.snopes.com for other McCain facts, not legends.

Clinton--
Here at Snopes.com is the best means to track down those pesky urban legends about Hillary--
(from a search with the term "Hillary"
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=hillary&getit=Go&sp-a=00062d45-p00000000&sp-advanced=1&sp-p=all&sp-w-control=1&sp-w=alike&sp-date-range=-1&sp-x=any&sp-c=100&sp-m=1&sp-s=0

[aedgarw]

I think we should have a new political tradition starting this year--presidential candidates'' wives should be encouraged to debate. If they are going to speak and campaigne for their husbands, they shoud be encouraged to have debates on the issues.

I wager there would be a lot less idiotic contributions form presidential spouses. The cream would float to the top and false, convenient sound bytes about patriotism would dry up and not clutter the news cycle.