Race Now Prime Clinton-Obama Debate Issue
From News Services ~ Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton bashed rival Barack Obama again on Sunday, suggesting that the black senator from Illinois is trying to prolong a race controversy that bubbled up after Clinton last week said it took a president like Lyndon Johnson to enact the vision presented by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Obama countered by saying Clinton is trying to rewrite history to serve her own future.
“Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Clinton told FOX News last week in remarks that sparked the current conflict. “It took a president to get it done.”
On Sunday, Clinton complained that Obama has been misrepresenting her words and their meaning. She said Obama has been comparing himself to King and President John F. Kennedy, who began the process that led to landmark civil rights legislation. But unlike King, who Clinton noted had marched, organized, protested, and was gassed, beaten and jailed, Obama is merely giving speeches about his commitment to racial equality.
“(King) understood he had to move the political process and bring in those who were in political power,” Clinton told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“And he campaigned for political leaders, including Lyndon Johnson, because he wanted somebody in the White House who would act on what he had devoted his life to achieving . So I think it’s important to set the record straight. Clearly, we know from media reports that the Obama campaign (is) deliberately distorting this.”
Clinton added that King deserves “the lion share of the credit” for moving the country and political process forward, but he couldn’t have done it without “partners who were in the political system.”
“I think it is such an unfair and unwarranted attempt to misrepresent and mischaracterize what I’ve said,” Clinton added.
In response, Obama held a conference call with reporters to say that he’s fascinated with the way the controversy is playing out, and it helps to explain why Americans are tired of Washington games. But, he added, Clinton “made an unfortunate remark, an ill-advised remark” about King and Johnson, and then wrongly blamed Obama when she was called on it.
“I didn’t make the statement. I haven’t remarked on it and she, I think, offended some folks who felt that somehow diminished King’s role in bringing about the Civil Rights Act. She is free to explain that, but the notion that somehow this is our doing is ludicrous. I have to point out that instead of telling the American people about her positive vision for America, Senator Clinton spent an hour talking about me and my record in a way that was flat-out wrong,” Obama said.
“I have to say that she started this campaign saying that she wanted to make history and lately she has been spending a lot of time rewriting it. I know that in Washington it is acceptable to say or do anything it takes to get elected, but I really don’t think that is the kind of politics that is good for our party, and I don’t think it is good for our country and I think that the American people will reject it in this election,” he continued.
Obama countered by saying Clinton is trying to rewrite history to serve her own future.
“Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Clinton told FOX News last week in remarks that sparked the current conflict. “It took a president to get it done.”
On Sunday, Clinton complained that Obama has been misrepresenting her words and their meaning. She said Obama has been comparing himself to King and President John F. Kennedy, who began the process that led to landmark civil rights legislation. But unlike King, who Clinton noted had marched, organized, protested, and was gassed, beaten and jailed, Obama is merely giving speeches about his commitment to racial equality.
“(King) understood he had to move the political process and bring in those who were in political power,” Clinton told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“And he campaigned for political leaders, including Lyndon Johnson, because he wanted somebody in the White House who would act on what he had devoted his life to achieving . So I think it’s important to set the record straight. Clearly, we know from media reports that the Obama campaign (is) deliberately distorting this.”
Clinton added that King deserves “the lion share of the credit” for moving the country and political process forward, but he couldn’t have done it without “partners who were in the political system.”
“I think it is such an unfair and unwarranted attempt to misrepresent and mischaracterize what I’ve said,” Clinton added.
In response, Obama held a conference call with reporters to say that he’s fascinated with the way the controversy is playing out, and it helps to explain why Americans are tired of Washington games. But, he added, Clinton “made an unfortunate remark, an ill-advised remark” about King and Johnson, and then wrongly blamed Obama when she was called on it.
“I didn’t make the statement. I haven’t remarked on it and she, I think, offended some folks who felt that somehow diminished King’s role in bringing about the Civil Rights Act. She is free to explain that, but the notion that somehow this is our doing is ludicrous. I have to point out that instead of telling the American people about her positive vision for America, Senator Clinton spent an hour talking about me and my record in a way that was flat-out wrong,” Obama said.
“I have to say that she started this campaign saying that she wanted to make history and lately she has been spending a lot of time rewriting it. I know that in Washington it is acceptable to say or do anything it takes to get elected, but I really don’t think that is the kind of politics that is good for our party, and I don’t think it is good for our country and I think that the American people will reject it in this election,” he continued.
Labels: 2008 Presidential Race
posted by Mike McCarville @ 9:32 AM
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