Clinton: We Don't Need Moderators

N.Y. Senator Challenges Obama To Lincoln-Douglas Style Debate Where Candidates Ask Each Other Questions

(AP)  Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton turned up the rhetoric Saturday in their increasingly heated presidential primary battle as she issued a new debate challenge and he complained of a race that has largely been reduced to trivia while working families feel economic pain.

Clinton took the debate dispute to a new level, challenging Obama to face off with her in a debate without a moderator.

"Just the two of us, going for 90 minutes, asking and answering questions, we'll set whatever rules seem fair," Clinton said while campaigning in South Bend.

Her campaign made the offer formal with a letter to the Obama campaign. Obama aides said they were studying the letter.

Trailing in delegates and the popular vote, Clinton has been stepping up the pressure on Obama for more debates in advance of primaries in nine days in Indiana and North Carolina. Clinton argued that Obama won't debate because he's unhappy with questions from TV moderators during the April 16 debate just before the Pennsylvania primary. After that debate, Obama complained it focused too much on political trivia and too little on real issues.

On the campaign trail Saturday, he sounded much the same theme.

"I was convinced that the American people were tired of the politics that's all about tearing each other down. The American people were tired of spin and PR, they wanted straight talk and honesty from their elected officials," Obama said at a town hall meeting in the aging industrial city of Anderson.

"If you watched the last few weeks of this campaign, you'd think that all politics is about is negative ads and bickering and arguing, gaffes and sideline issues," said Obama. "There's no serious discussion about how to bring jobs back, to Anderson."

Both rivals were focusing on Indiana on Saturday, with Clinton bringing along popular Sen. Evan Bayh and talking about reviving the industrial economy.

"We can do that again, but we need, as Senator Bayh said, a president who doesn't just talk about it but who actually rolls up her sleeves and gets to work," said Clinton.

The two Democratic candidates were stumping in the heart of Republican territory, and Obama sought to reach across party lines, saying he has struggled to avoid the back-and-forth bickering of the campaign, and focus on issues like plant closings that have damaged cities like Anderson.

"I've been trying to resist that in this campaign and I will continue to resist it when I'm president of the United States," said Obama.

Clinton was focused in eastern Indiana along the Ohio border in industrial pockets as well, seeking to build a coalition of working-class voters similar to the one that served her well in neighboring Ohio.

The next round of primaries in the historic contest for the Democratic nomination comes May 6 when Democrats in Indiana and North Carolina go to the polls. Obama is favored in North Carolina, but the polls have shown the race in Indiana far too close to call.

The North Carolina primary offers 115 national convention delegates, the largest prize among the nine contests remaining. Indiana has with 72 delegates available.

In the overall race for the Democratic Party nomination, Obama leads with 1,724.5 delegates, including superdelegates - unelected party officials who can vote as they please. Clinton had 1,593.5, according to an Associated Press tally. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination.

With no end in sight soon for the Democratic contest, Obama sought to ease worries that the intraparty fight will leave the party vulnerable in November.

"Everybody is kind of nervous about this Democratic primary, it's been going on a long time," said Obama. "I have my differences with Senator Clinton and she has her differences with me. We will be united in November and beat John McCain and the Republicans."

Obama also underscored his differences with McCain, the certain Republican nominee.

"John McCain says he's different, but when you look at his policies he's got no agenda for you, how to make you a little more successful," Obama told his heavily blue-collar audience. "We know in our hearts that this country is not going down the right track, something needs to change right now and that's what's at stake in this election."

In Anderson, Obama noted that McCain has switched views on issues like tax cuts for the rich to curry favor with the conservative Republican Party base. "The straight talk express lost a wheel," said Obama.

McCain's campaign was quick to respond. "This again shows that Barack Obama doesn't understand the economy. Americans are looking for proof that the next president is going to be someone who understands their needs," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement.

[vmcneal2]

Real Men Love Strong Woman.

Hillary''''08.

I guess that''s why Bill was trying to bang anything in a skirt.

[vmcneal2]

Her Husband Bill, while he was President was getting BJs in the White House from a young intern. I guess he was wearing a flag pin at the time so it was OK!!! The Clintons are trash. They had eight years, now it''s time for them to move on.

[Po Win]

Without an NIE report to read, Senator Obama, touts his sound decision-making (as a State Senator) for opposing the War in Iraq. With hindsight, unbeknownst to him, there were no weapons of mass destruction. His argument that he made the right choice is a fallacy: he didn''t make any such decision as a U.S. Senator with the emotions of September 11th still riding high while maintaining strong national security. Albeit, none of these assertions are earth-moving or original arguments; what is important here is to remind voters that he does not command a bastion of foreign policy knowledge nor does his redundant, "I voted against the war" a viable argument to support his candidacy.


Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is well-known among world leaders and she has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an organization for scholars dedicated to producing and disseminating ideas so that policymakers in the United States and other countries can better understand world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments. As an avid reader of this prestigious panoply of policy making, one can attest that Foreign Affairs covers nearly every aspect of present geopolitical problem-solving. She is no inginue when it comes to world affairs.

[lordmi]

And WE do NOT need Clintons

[libra127]

POLL: CLINTON HAS BETTER CHANCE THAN OBAMA OF BEATING McCAIN
By Liz Sidoti, Associated Press

Hillary Rodham Clinton has a better chance than Barack Obama of beating Republican John McCain, according to a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll that bolsters her argument that she is more electable in the fall than her rival for the Democratic nomination.

The survey released Monday gives Clinton a fresh talking point as she works to convince pivotal undecided superdelegates to side with her in the drawn-out Democratic primary fight.

Clinton, who won the Pennsylvania primary last week, has gained ground this month in a hypothetical head-to-head match up with the GOP nominee-in-waiting; she now leads McCain, 50 percent to 41 percent, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46 percent to 44 percent.

[metroduck75]

Real Men Love Strong Woman.

Hillary''08.

[dnsallday]

THis woman is running out of themes with her obsessive desire to get into at least 3 media markets every single day. I know we are going to actually see her come out in some sort of costume before long so she can continue to capture media attention. I think George Bush has a flight suit (along with a mission accomplished banner) that she might be able to borrow, I don''t think he will be needing it for anything.

[jockh]

Hillary may have more political experience than Obama, but old Hillary, with 35 years of experience and the advice of an ex President behind her, still voted to go to war in Iraq.

Like Obama, and like millions of ordinary people, she knew that the Iraq threat was a pack of lies but the problem was that she had her eye on the future Presidency; and I think she did not want to be painted as someone who is afraid of war just because she is a woman, this would have damaged her future presidential bid; so she chose the political expedient thing to do, lets go with the flow, lets not rock the boat.

So, to fulfill her personal ambitions, she now has the blood of 4000 US servicemen on her hands and she can never wash that away, no matter how she spins it.

Even to this day, she never uses her own judgment; she says whatever she thinks the audience wants to hear and changes her stance according to the state she is in. That%u2019s why polls show that voters consider her to be the most dishonest politician.

If Hillary is the nominee I would reluctantly vote for her; but I prefer to have a leader who has the integrity to stand by their beliefs rather than go with the flow, even if that means they have to stand alone in a crowded room.

[realtime09]

Barak has debated Hillary 4 times this year-- Millions of us have had way more arguements than that!!

Poor wimp needs a pillow and something to drink, and a nap.

[liberty4you]

This race is done. Vote for either Barack or McGrandpa.

Vote for Iraq... Dubai Middle East ports being sold by the British to the Arabs.

What? Did I stutter? The Neo-cons are in Dubai waiting to go to Iran... or perhaps scare America into voting

for another fake war. Hillary will be feeding McCain his medication and then she''ll be watching SNL in her

penthouse in Harlem.. Then taking bribes with Mark Penn to outsource more jobs to Columbia...

PS. Penn works for a major PR firm that has supported Iraq... remember America, she voted for the war

and did not even bother to read the intelligence..

We need a president like her, to not read intelligence...or perhaps not.

Not.

[rowdytexan2]

Time for Obama to stand down. He''ll never see the White House. Period.

[tbweb]

The Clintons are Politically very smart and savvy, you don''t win all those elections not being politically sharp! Governor, Senator, President twice! So whats the deal, the Clintons can count and the Clintons can see the Political hand writing on the wall, so why is Sen. Clinton staying in this race knowing that even if she wins, she loses and rips the Democratic Party apart? The reason many believe is because she thinks McCain will win and be a one term President and she can run and win in 2012! The Clinton strategy is all about a Hillary Rodham Clinton Presidential run in 2012! Sen. John McCains campaign has already stated it will use Sen. Clintons play book against Sen. Obama in their fall campaign if he is the nominee, since Sen. Clinton already did the research and paid for it saving the Republicans time and money!

[chitown639]

Hillary should cash in her chips, the dream is over!!!! HA HA HA!!!!

[kstar42]

Hillary''''s only hope of winning is to get Barack in a debate anbd twist something he says into a negative attack. That''''s the who0le reason she wants another debte.


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

Posted by SgtRDS at 07:25 PM : Apr 27, 2008

NO he suckkks at debates...thats why he doesn''t want to do it.....sad suckerr...and he wants to be president? whatever

[eroosevelt08]

It is not a question of race. It is just that Senator Obama has such a thin resume so far. He shows great promise, but he has not learned enough yet to be President. The standard of comparison is not George Bush. The standard is George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Senator Obama is just too young and inexperienced for the job.

[Stratmaster7]

Ole Rev.Wright is loving the attention. He thinks Barack has already won and the revolution has started. So far in this speech he has insulted Catholics, Jews, Protestants, people from New England and his own race. This is the wise man Obama held up as a mentor. The revolution Obama is planning is not at all the "change" he has been peddling.

[Stratmaster7]

Ole Rev.Wright is loving the attention. He thinks Barack has already won and the revolution has started. So far in this speech he has insulted Catholics, Jews, Protestants, people from New England and his own race. This is the wise man Obama held up as a mentor. The revolution Obama is planning is not at all the "change" he has been peddling.

[truthyness]

CNN NOW.......Rev. Wright is being endorced by the NAACP.....SCARY!!!!

[popstom1]

rufis Bill naver spent a day in prison now whos
the convict Ho the senate AQUITED Bill Clinton

[philly1550]

Hillary has won all the BIG states that have the most ELECTORAL votes that are needed to beat McCain in Nov.

Hillary has won all the union votes

Hillary has won all the Catholic votes

Hillary has won all the Hispanic votes

Hillary has won all the s Senior votes

Hillary has won all the white college educated votes

Hillary has won all the white non-college votes

Hillary has won all the blue collar votes

Hillary is leading in the popular vote when Florida and Michigan votes are counted.

Hillary will be the next President!