Clinton, Obama Make Pa. Closing Arguments

Both Democrats Try To Lower Expectations Ahead Of Crucial Primary

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton invoked Pearl Harbor, the Berlin Wall and Osama bin Laden as she reached for a victory in Pennsylvania's Democratic presidential primary to recharge her comeback effort.

Barack Obama said she would probably win but he hoped to keep it close in Tuesday's voting.

Clinton made her closing arguments Monday for the biggest primary left on the election schedule, running an ad with historic images to ask voters whom they would trust most in the White House during a time of trouble. It's the same tactic she used successfully in the "3 a.m." ad she aired in the closing days of the Ohio and Texas contests last month.

It was the first time a Democratic candidate has used bin Laden in a campaign commercial in the 2008 race for the White House. The terrorist appears along with images from the stock market crash, the bombing at Pearl Harbor, the Soviet threat, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Hurricane Katrina as an announcer tells voters the political contest is for "the most important job in the world."

"You need to be ready for anything, especially now, with two wars, oil prices skyrocketing and an economy in crisis. Harry Truman said it best, `If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.' Who do you think has what it takes?" the announcer says at the end, as Clinton appears on screen.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the ad "plays the politics of fear." And he said Clinton is to blame for allowing bin Laden to escape by supporting war in Iraq and diverting the U.S. military.

"It's ironic that she would borrow the president's tactics in her own campaign and invoke bin Laden to score political points," Burton said.

Obama has been framing the choice in Pennsylvania in negative contrasts with Clinton on the Iraq war, trade, special interests, and the back-scratching culture of Washington, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds. He has narrowed what was once a double-digit lead, but his momentum has slowed.

Obama tried to end on a positive note after days of escalating accusations against Clinton. He didn't criticize his rival as he spoke with voters at an outdoor plaza in suburban Philadelphia, where tulips and daffodils bloomed and children played in the background.

"I thought this would be a nice change of pace," Obama said. A bank of TV cameras captured the soft images - early enough in the day to ensure that voters would see the images on Philadelphia newscasts the night before the primary.

Facing a nearly insurmountable delegate deficit, Clinton is now focused on the total popular vote in all the Democratic contests to give her a case to make to superdelegates, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod. She currently trails Obama by 827,308 votes.

Pennsylvania's demographics suit Clinton. The state has a higher median age, a higher percentage of whites, a lower median household income and fewer bachelor's degrees than the country overall. These are the voters - working-class whites and voters older than 50 - who have flocked to her in past contests.

Obama suggested in an interview with Pittsburgh radio station KDKA that Clinton probably would come out on top. "I'm not predicting a win. I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect," he said.

Clinton aides tried to keep expectations down, insisting they would be grateful for a win no matter how close. While the New York senator began the race with a hefty 20-point lead in several polls in the state, Obama's extensive campaigning and heavy TV ad purchases significantly cut into her lead.

She told supporters in Scranton, "We really need to bear down in these last few days. The whole world is watching."

Clinton was hoping a big win in Pennsylvania could boost her chance at the nomination. A loss would increase pressure on her to exit the race, with Obama leading in delegates and the popular vote.

The primary comes after a six-week break in voting that allowed Clinton and Obama to spend more time in Pennsylvania than in any state since the primaries and caucuses began at the first of the year.

Pennsylvania is the largest of the 10 contests remaining, with about 4 million registered Democrats and 158 delegates up for grabs in the primary. Polls were to open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. EDT.

[tigerjcs]

NO OBAMA. No anti American, unpatriotic and hate American to lead this country. All Obama does is delivering empty promisses and speeches, but nothing else. He is coward by voting PRESENT. He has not show any CHANGE and HOPE in his church that he has been attending for over 20 years. His followers are duped by his sweet talk, with no substance.

[blackspirit3]

FLIP FLOP HILLARY????

THEN

Clinton, who has tried to cast her rival as too inexperienced for the job of commander in chief, said of Obama''s stance on Pakistan: "I don''t believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or non-use of nuclear weapons."

NOW

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussed actions that would warrant a nuclear response that would %u201Ctotally obliterate%u201D Iran. The New York Senator told ABC''s %u201CGood Morning America%u201D Tuesday and MSNBC''s %u201CCountdown With Keith Olbermann%u201D Monday that, if president, she would be willing to use nuclear weapons against Iran if they orchestrated a nuclear attack on Israel.

[blackspirit3]

FLIP FLOP HILLARY????
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussed actions that would warrant a nuclear response that would %u201Ctotally obliterate%u201D Iran. The New York Senator told ABC''s %u201CGood Morning America%u201D Tuesday and MSNBC''s %u201CCountdown With Keith Olbermann%u201D Monday that, if president, she would be willing to use nuclear weapons against Iran if they orchestrated a nuclear attack on Israel.

Clinton, who has tried to cast her rival as too inexperienced for the job of commander in chief, said of Obama''s stance on Pakistan: "I don''t believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or non-use of nuclear weapons."

[leftyintexas]

People who have NO understanding of how our system of government works should not have the right to vote!!!!!

Posted by LibH8er at 08:37 AM : Apr 22, 2008

You are eight years too late.

[leftyintexas]

Be of good cheer GOP -victory is in our sights.

Posted by tuffone3 at 11:38 AM : Apr 22, 2008

That''s strange, I don''t see DUMBYA''S name on your list. Oh yeah, I forgot....he''s in a category all by himself. Ha!Ha!Ha!

[leftyintexas]

....he is a nut job.

Posted by Obama8years at 09:37 AM : Apr 22, 2008

Haven''t you had this conversation with yourself before?

[sjc_1]

I think the ads are legitimate. It IS an important job, even though W seems to think it is one big frat party. We are going to need a lot of rehab and situations come at you all the time. I think Clinton knows this better than any of the candidates and I think she is more prepared than any of them to deal effectively with what ever comes our way.

[blackspirit3]

40 YEARS OF CLINTON RAPING WOMEN

A 1969 charge by a Eileen Wellstone, said Clinton assaulted her after she met him at a pub near the Oxford University campus where the future President was a student.
In 1972, a 22-year-old woman told campus police at Yale University that she was sexually assaulted by Clinton, who was a law student at the college.
In 1974, a female student at the University of Arkansas complained that then-law professor Bill Clinton groped her and forced his hand inside her blouse
Broaddrick, a volunteer in Clinton''s attorney general campaign, said he raped her in 1978;
From 1978-1980, Arkansas State troopers assigned to protect the governor reported seven complaints from women who said Clinton forced, or attempted to force, himself on them sexually.
Elizabeth Ward, the Miss Arkansas who won the Miss America crown in 1982, told friends she was forced by Clinton to have *** with him shortly after she won her state crown.
Paula Corbin, an Arkansas state worker, filed a sexual harassment case against Clinton the then-governor exposed himself and demanded oral ***.
Sandra Allen James, President Clinton invited her to his hotel room during a political trip to the nation''s capital in 1991, pinned her against the wall and stuck his hand up her dress.
Kathleen Willey, a White House volunteer, reported that Clinton grabbed her, fondled her breast and pressed her hand against his genitals during an Oval Office meeting in November, 1993.

[jerok3]

Sincerely I do not understand about H. Clintons arguments on experience and ability to carry USA to the promise land when she cannot even find out when her hussy was cheating on her right on her nose and not knowing in time that supporting war is supplely means of keep lots of enemies and endangering innocent life%u2019s, power to understand, good judgement, foresights belongs to divine president which Obama has!! My candid advise to H. Clinton is to simply give a positive change chance for people of great USA to rediscover them selves without further deviation and hitches!!!

[gunownerdan]

SUPERDELEGATES...

because the average American is far too stupid to make their own decisions!!