WP: Clinton Campaign Tries to Keep Heat on Obama Over Debate Response

[DeepModem Mom]

Clinton Campaign Tries to Keep Heat on Obama Over Debate Response
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2007; Page A03

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 27 -- The first Democratic presidential debate did little to change the shape of the 2008 race, but it provided a post-debate flash point Friday between the campaigns of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton over the issue of fighting terrorism.

At issue is whether Obama mishandled a question about how he would respond if two American cities were attacked by terrorists: Did he fail to demonstrate the toughness and resolve that voters want in a president or was his answer a careful and comprehensive checklist for any potential president dealing with an international crisis?

The Clinton campaign seized on what happened, claiming, without mentioning Obama, that "Hillary was the candidate who demonstrated that she would know how to respond if the country was attacked." An Obama spokesman dismissed the Clinton camp's press release as "a sign of nervousness."

The debate aftermath offered another example of the Clinton campaign's determination to keep the pressure on a rival who has proved to be more formidable than some of the New York senator's allies had expected. But it also underscored that, because Obama has served only a little over two years in the Senate, questions of experience will continue to surround his candidacy.

The moment at issue came in the second half of Thursday's debate at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. The moderator, NBC News anchor Brian Williams, asked how Obama would change the military posture of the United States if the terrorist network al-Qaeda hit two U.S. cities....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/27/AR2007042702162.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[papau]

1. Hillary did very well - Obama not so well but well enough - it will be a long campaign n/t

n/t

[Connie_Corleone]

2. Obama gave a pragmatic, realistic answer.

Hillary gave the political answer.

Nuff said.

[SaveElmer]

3. Hillary gave the correct answer...which Obama realized later...

When he had to add to his answer on an unrelated question...

Obama did well in the debate, but it was a flub...

[Connie_Corleone]

4. She gave the correct political answer.

Obama gave the answer that some people didn't want to hear.

[SaveElmer]

5. Sorry...I disagree..

As apparently Obama did when he corrected himself...

[IndianaGreen]

6. Hillary said that she would retaliate. Retaliate against whom?

Many Americans supported an attack on Iraq solely out of revenge for 9-11, despite the fact that Iraq had nothing to do with it. Our blood lust for revenge resulted in a million dead Iraqi civilians, 3 million displaced or exiled, over 3,300 dead Americans, and tens of thousands wounded and emotionally scarred veterans. That's what retaliation got us.

Hillary said she would attack countries that harbor terrorists. Really? Isn't that what Israel did when she bombed Beirut in retaliation for the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers? How many innocent people were killed or wounded?

Events since 9-11 have show that national retaliation results in terrorism on a larger scale than the original terrorist act.

[Colobo]

7. This was to be expected.

Points for Hillary... but don't worry, I'm sure Obama will be able to hit back.