Obama jabs Clinton left and right at Wisconsin Dems Dinner

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: February 17, 2008
Obama jabs Clinton left and right at Wisconsin Dems Dinner

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (CNN) -– Although Hillary Clinton delivered a relatively mild speech with largely indirect attacks aimed at her Democratic opponent, Barack Obama's remarks minutes later could easily be labeled far more critical. Sen. Obama, following Sen. Clinton to the podium Saturday night at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's Founders Day Gala, even strayed off his prepared comments to dish out attacks he's recently included on the stump.

The Illinois senator introduced a new line, as well, hitting Sen. Clinton for "just recently" supporting legislation aimed at keeping jobs in the United States that he said he's advocated for years. Obama said the Patriot Employer Act "will reward companies that create good jobs right here in America."

He also accused Clinton, as he has in the past, of participating in the "politics of the moment" by taking certain positions simply because it's campaign season. "I didn't just start criticizing unfair trade deals like NAFTA and China because I started running for President," Obama said, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a treaty signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. Obama often points out that Hillary Clinton praised NAFTA during her husband's administration.

Obama served up a small backhanded compliment, saying he "applauds" Clinton's healthcare plan which he said includes some of the same steps he proposed "last spring." Clinton introduced her health care plan in September.

The final portion of Obama's speech was largely ad-libbed with slightly tweaked material from his stump over the last week. It included lines directed at Clinton's recent heightened criticism that Obama is a "talker and not a doer" and that this election is not about "speeches" but "solutions" — a theme Clinton also pushed in her comments at the dinner.

"It's true that speeches don't solve all problems, but what is also true is if we cannot inspire the country to believe again then it doesn't matter how many policies and plans we have," Obama said. "Don't tell me words don't matter," Obama said, citing the famous lines "I have a dream" and "all men are created equal."...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/17/obama-jabs-clinton-left-and-right-at-wisconsin-dems-dinner/#more-5375

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. way to take on the clinton machine....

i've got to hand it to obama, he's thinks on his feet. I particularly like this part:

"It's true that speeches don't solve all problems, but what is also true is if we cannot inspire the country to believe again then it doesn't matter how many policies and plans we have," Obama said. "Don't tell me words don't matter," Obama said, citing the famous lines "I have a dream" and "all men are created equal."...

truly inspired....

[denim_kittens]

2. you call those jabs?

Clinton shouldn't have called Obama a zombie to begin with. In light of her accusations, he's being very fair.