Hillary's heavy on their minds

The veiled and not-so-veiled references to Hillary Rodham Clinton by her chief rivals in the Democratic presidential race continue to mount. Who knows, maybe by the time fall rolls around --- and the already heated campaign intensifies --- we'll actually hear her name uttered by those casting aspersions her way.

John Edwards took a clear swipe at Clinton today with two references that hearkened back to the days when her husband was president.

"The American people deserve to know that their presidency is not for sale," Edwards said as he began a four-day bus tour in New Hampshire. "The Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent" --- a reminder of Bill Clinton's much-publicized habit of inviting big-time Democratic donors to overnight at the White House.

Edwards, who with each speech seems to adopt a more aggressive tone, also took aim at Hillary Clinton's major calling card among many of her fellow Democrats: the warm recollections they have of the strong economy and relatively calm world scene that marked Bill's two terms in office.

"The trouble with nostalgia is that you tend to remember what you liked — am I right? — and you forget what you didn't," Edwards said. "It's not just that the answers of the past aren't up to the job today, it's that the system that produced them was corrupt — and it still is corrupt."

Take that, Clintonistas.

The Times' Peter Nicholas was with Edwards on the trail and his story is here on this website and will appear in Friday's print editions.

Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, has been at the center of a flap recently over a comment she made that called to mind an aspect of the Clinton legacy that Edwards avoided --- some personal indiscretions by the former president who hopes to become first gentleman.

Obama spurred a guessing game about whether he had Hillary in mind in comments he made during his Wednesday night appearance on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart." You can judge for yourself by going here.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Lyn]

Give it a rest...this is exactly what Jon Stewart was talking about. You guys manufacture things. EVERYTHING isn't about Hillary. The question should be why are they so sensitive.

mention a bed and they jump
mention family its an attack on her
Now mention any age group from 50-70 and its an attack on her

THAT's THE PROBLEM IT's ALL ABOUT HER

[Stephen Cassidy]

Edwards attacks HRC and the Clinton legacy in all but name and then turns around and denies he's attacking HRC and the Clinton legacy. This race is going to get ugly after Labor Day. Could that be Edwards plan? Trigger a counter offensive by HRC and TV ads attacking him in Iowa and NH which he hopes would backfire on HRC?