Latest on Hillary-Obama dust up. She has been promising to draw a "contrast" with Obama more forcefully in the home stretch of the race in Iowa. Today in Iowa, she did just that, unloading on Obama in a new speech that is her most direct effort yet to frame the choice voters face.
Excerpts below from TPM.
"A couple of my leading opponents, directly and through surrogates, have spent months criticizing me without having to answer any of their own questions. They’ve been attacking my character. As I have said repeatedly, I really would prefer to attack the problems of the country and let my opponents run their own campaigns."
On healthcare:
"When it comes to health care, one of my opponents believes it’s acceptable to leave out 15 million Americans. That would be 100,000 here in Iowa. Leave them out from his health care plan because universal coverage might be too hard to achieve. I disagree. I don’t think we should start by giving up on 15 million Americans. That’s why my health care plan covers everyone...
Social Security:
When it comes to Social Security, one of my opponents uses the Republican talking points and has been open to raising the retirement age and cutting benefits. Now he says he is for lifting the payroll tax, which would be a trillion dollar tax increase. Again, I disagree. I don’t think we should fix Social Security on the backs of our seniors and the middle class. I have always fought for Social Security, I have always stood up against privatization, and as President, I will restore fiscal responsibility so we can keep Social Security as a sacred promise to our seniors.
On Kyl-Lieberman amendment:
"When it comes to Iran, I took a stand for aggressive diplomacy. One of my opponents made a different choice: He didn’t show up for the vote. He didn’t speak out during a presidential debate that night. And finally, he decided to play politics and claim that the vote he missed – a vote for diplomacy – was really a vote for war. Well if he really thought it was a rush to war, why did he rush to campaign and miss the vote?
And on her own record:
"A President can't dodge the big fights, can’t find political cover, or have words speak louder than actions. A lot of words we have these days aren’t matched by action. And much of the actions I see, I simply disagree with. I have a very clear record on all of these issues. A record of 35 years of fighting for children and families, fighting for working people, fighting for our future – and as President, I will keep on fighting. But I’m running on more than just my record and my experience. I am also running on my vision and agenda of a new beginning for America.
"We need a new beginning on health care. We need to stand up to the drug companies and the insurance companies and provide health care for every single man, woman and child, at a price that people can afford and we’re going to give them the help to do that."
UPDATE: Obama campaign responds via spokesman Bill Burton:
"Hillary Clinton's idea of 'fun' continues today by attacking Barack Obama's 100% pro-choice rating and his record of leadership in reforming the death penalty, passing racial profiling legislation, and enacting the first major ethics reform in twenty-five years. The truth is, Barack Obama doesn't need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq, gave him the benefit of the doubt on Iran, supported NAFTA and opposed ethanol until she decided to run for President."