A family gathering is usually not the place to pick fights but then again, this is no usual campaign. The Democratic National Committee's winter meeting is taking place near Washington DC today and all the party's presidential candidates except Chris Dodd are speaking to members.
It's generally an opportunity to throw out some red meat by hammering away at the Bush administration and putting forth one's vision for their candidacy. It just so happens that a major part of Barack Obama'a vision is to be the antithesis of Hillary Clinton. It's a point Obama hit over and over again in his speech this morning, one full of unflattering references to Clinton. The speech was taken nearly verbatim from one he delivered at the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner earlier in November, but let's review; here are a few phrases Obama used, according to a version of the speech released by his campaign, enhanced with our translation:
"We have a chance to bring the country together in a new majority - to finally tackle problems that George Bush made far worse, but that had festered long before George Bush ever took office - problems that we've talked about year after year after year." [Translation: The 1990s weren't all that great either.]"The same old Washington textbook campaigns just won't do in this election. … Telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won't do. Triangulating and poll-driven positions because we're worried about what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won't do." [Translation: Remember that triangulation business? It worked great for the Clintons but didn't do much for the rest of the party.]
"I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over." [Translation: Clinton takes contributions from lobbyists.]"Here's the truth – if you can't afford health insurance right now, you will when I'm President. Anyone who tells you otherwise is more interested in scoring points than solving problems. And I'm in it because we've had enough of that." [Translation: Tell her to stop lying about my record.]"I am running for President because I am sick and tired of Democrats thinking that the only way to look tough on national security is by talking, and acting, and voting like George Bush Republicans." [Translation: Clinton is Bush.]" When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like." [Translation: None needed.]" I don't want to spend 2008 re-fighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s." [Translation: How'd you enjoy that impeachment business anyway?]" I am not in this race to fulfill some long-held ambitions or because I believe it's somehow owed to me." [Translation: Hillary has been running for president her whole like – and that's a lot longer than I have because she's older.]