Obama defends fierce tone of campaign with Clinton

[ProSense]

Obama defends fierce tone of campaign with Clinton

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

KINGSTREE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama on Thursday defended the fierce tone of his recent exchanges with presidential rival Hillary Clinton and said he was forced to fight back against her campaign's disregard for the truth.

Obama, an Illinois senator, said he was battling a "tough, well-honed political machine" operated by Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, but did not think their escalating feud would hurt the party in November's election.

"One principle that I think we want to firmly establish is, if people are making false assertions about my record, we will answer them," Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, told reporters.

The top two contenders for the Democratic nomination have engaged in a widening war of words, including a debate on Monday in which they traded a series of harsh and sometimes personal attacks.

Obama ran a tough radio ad accusing Clinton, a New York senator who would be the first woman U.S. president, of being willing to "say anything to get elected."

He said it was in response to Clinton's radio ad, which he said distorted his comments about Republican ideas.

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Bill Clinton: I kind of like to see Barack and Hillary fight.

AP Interview: Hill defends Bill on stump

[Unsane]

1. You go boy

gobama

[K Gardner]

2. She's proven she can dish it out, but she certainly can't take it without whining or crying or

running to her special interest groups to c/o media piling on, other candidate piling on, etc. She conducts herself without even a modicum of dignity or honor.

[rusty_parts2001]

3. Most of the whining is on the Obama side of the ledger

[Unsane]

5. let's not bring health ledger into this

[MethuenProgressive]

4. Crybaby Obama should try acting more like his Republican idol Ronnie Reagan.

Reagan never cried as much as this dork.

[bellasgrams]

6. Obama continues to put his foot in his mouth and when he is

called on it he says the mean old Clintons are being mean to me. Accusing them of lying, yet when you hear the tape or see the video you can clearly see it's what he said and later he puts a spin on it.