Clinton: "Shame on You, Barack Obama"
CINCINNATI -- Today, Hillary Clinton aggressively went after Barack Obama, criticizing him for playing similar political games to Karl Rove and at one point saying, "Shame on you, Barack Obama."
Speaking to reporters following a rally at a community college here, Clinton slammed Obama and his campaign for distributing mailings to Ohio voters attacking Clinton's universal health care plan and her position on NAFTA.
"Today in the crowd I was given two mailings that Senator Obama's campaign is sending and I have to express my deep disappointment that he is continuing to send false and discredited mailings with information that is not true to the voters of Ohio. He says one thing in speeches and then he turns around does this," Clinton said waiving the two mailings at the cameras.
"Just because Senator Obama chose not to present a universal health care plan does not give him the right to attack me because I did. So let's have a real campaign. Enough with the speeches and the big rallies and then using tactics that are right out of Karl Rove's playbook, this is wrong and every Democrat should be outraged."
"Everything in those mailers is completely accurate," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "We look forward to having a debate this Tuesday on the facts, and the facts are that Senator Clinton was a supporter of NAFTA and the China permanent trade treaties until this campaign began. And she herself has said that under the Clinton health care plan, she would consider 'going after the wages' of Americans who don't purchase health insurance, whether they can afford it or not," Burton continued.
Clinton's tough tone and sharp words are a stark difference from her tone and appearance on a debate in Austin, Texas two days ago.
When asked about her new tone Clinton skirted the question going back to the mailings and attacking the Obama campaign for funding them.
"This election is about misleading, false and discredited attacks that interfere with voters being able to make an informed judgment," she said.
"I am not going to stand here and see this campaign polluted by the kind of misleading, discredited and false attacks. We deserve better than that. He's been called out on it, he has been contradicted on it, he knows better and here it is 'Paid for by the Obama for America Campaign.'"
"So, shame on you Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public, that's what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio and let's have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign."
Earlier at the rally, she slammed President Bush, saying that under his presidency "the American people got shafted."
She also suggested a parallel between Bush and her opponent Barack Obama, saying that talking "about change" doesn't necessarily translate into a successful presidency.
"You know people talk a lot about change in this election," Clinton said.
"We have lived through some of the worst change anybody could imagine over the last 7 years. Do you think people voting in 2000 knew what they were getting? I don't. People thought they were getting a compassionate conservative; and it turns out we got neither and we have lived with the consequences of those mistakes year after year after year."
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!" she added.
"Now more than ever we need a president we can count on, a president who's in it for you," said Clinton.
Clinton will hold another event in Ohio today before heading to Louisiana and Texas later this evening.