Clinton, Obama camps spar over numbers

From the my-foreign-policy-staff’s-bigger-than-yours file:

The horrid Midwestern weather played havoc with much of Barack Obama's campaign schedule today, but when he finally got to Washington, Iowa, his jabs at his main rival in the Democratic presidential race warmed the atmosphere a bit inside the local junior high school gymnasium.

He happily amplified on a topic that last week prompted perhaps his best debate moment. He had been asked during the forum about the hefty number of ex-Bill Clinton aides advising him on foreign policy, and Hillary Clinton laughingly chimed in that she was anxious to hear his answer. Obama, with perfect timing and tenor, quipped: “Hillary, I’m looking forward to you advising me as well.”

As his rally today, in response to an audience question, he told his crowd that “you could argue that there are more foreign policy experts from the Clinton administration supporting me than Sen. Clinton.”

And that, he continued, “raises a very good question. Why is the national security advisor of Bill Clinton (Anthony Lake), the secretary of the Navy of Bill Clinton (Richard Danzig), the assistant secretary of state for Bill Clinton (Susan Rice) -- why are all these people endorsing me?”

It’s not, he said, “just because I give a good speech.” He added: “They apparently believe that my vision of foreign policy is better suited to the 21st century and is not caught up in the politics of fear that we’ve been seeing out of George Bush over the last seven years.”

A campaign staffer said nearly 50 foreign policy advisors who once were part of the Clinton administration have decamped for Obama.

The Clinton campaign responded quickly that Obama could argue his assertion all he wants, but he is wrong. Indeed, it e-mailed a list of 83 "foreign policy experts" who advised the first Clinton White House and who support the restoration effort.

Said spokesman Phil Singer: "Sen. Obama is attacking Sen. Clinton by making demonstrably false claims about his foreign policy credentials that only raise more questions about his own lack of experience."

-- Maria La Ganga

Comments

[Peter]

Phil Singer needs to learn how to be a better spokesmen for what he says drags on and on and doesn't demonstrably get to a an actual point where we will actually learn something substantive about either Hillary or Obama. Speak simply. Hillary is divisive. Vote Obama.

[Marks]

This topic won't last as importance.

Every candidate has flaws, says things, backtracks, updates, reiterates, bargains and blasts again. Tomorrow is another day and place to say something! The plane trips and bus rides take their toll on candidates reasonings! Supporters drop out too. Whoever is listed today as an advisor could be gone next week.

Haven't the candidates said enough?

It's a popularity choice at the moment of voting. Will the voter go with who they know or what is hoped for? Choosing the most recognizable thing to do in their mind. If hopes are determined, its every choice but Clinton. If consideration is change but nothing radical, Clinton is that person. Nobody can say a female President is a radical change. It hasn't happened yet.

More think a radical change is in Obama because of racism. America won't let that happen some say. To fight racism, choose Obama or Richardson.

The goal for voters, make a choice between the best possibility. What does America need in a President, their national policies and world guidance. Which candidate can craft their statements into actually real policy. Which candidate might fight with Congress and win battles there.

Hillary has deeply entrenched foes. Other candidate are given benefit because they haven't accused others of conspiracies. America heard 8 years of a very political First Lady who really didn't control behaviors of Bill in the White House. When Monica was in there, where was Hillary? Why wasn't she accountable then?

I particularly don't want Bill to have a third term. That's the real question too. Bill has entrenched political enemies who will go out of their way to stop him from getting to the White House. Someone wrote Conservative Republicans like Obama to beat Hillary. If he wasn't liberal they say, all the other qualities about him they like.

[Garette]

A black pastor says although there is a leadership vacuum in the African-American community, Illinois Senator Barack Obama does not fit the bill to fill the void. The New Jersey minister hopes his new website, ObamaNation.com, will expose Obama's voting history and prove to black voters that the much-touted Democratic presidential hopeful does not represent their values. Pastor Clenard Childress heads the group Christians for Social Justice and is assistant to the national director of the pro-life group called Life Education and Resource Network, or LEARN. Also, he has recently launched the new ObamaNation.com website and its "Obama Blog," to educate the black community regarding what he calls the "horrific" voting record of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Childress says "winds of change" are blowing in the black community, but he believes the election of Obama as America's next president would be "a step back" at best. "All polling shows that African Americans are pro-life," the pro-family advocate notes, and "all polling shows that they are not in agreement with same-sex 'marriage.'"
Childress says his organization's goal is to get these facts about black America to translate into action at the voting booth. And one way of making that happen is to make Obama's own voting record known, the Christians for Social Justice official explains. With regard to abortion that record is disheartening, he notes; "even on the Born-Alive [Infants Protection] Act, I was appalled that he would deny medical assistance to a child that survived an abortion."
expose the Illinois senator's liberal stances on several key issues affecting the black community.
Senator Obama's support for abortion garnered him a 100 percent rating from Illinois Planned Parenthood, an organization whose founder called blacks "human weeds." But according to Childress, the Illinois lawmaker and Democratic presidential candidate does not represent the views of the African-American community on abortion or any number of other important issues, including homosexuality.

[demos]

What Foreign policy experience does HRC has?

What insight does she have?

Nothing , Nada , Zero,

Stop the bleeding, she cannot think on her feet, she cannot consult her own counscience to take decisions, i remember the speech she made when Bush was taking our kid to war, she didn't even check the Inteligence report....
She played politics with the life of our people, and now she is talking about policy.... please

Go Obama 2008.

[Tom J]

I don't care if it's half or not - the real question is why ANY Clinton advisors dropped Hillary in favor of Obama, let alone 50. What do they know that we don't? (Probably a lot.)

Perhaps the LA Times could work something out with Google to PageRank all the advisors involved, weighting their importance by position, number of years, were they supporters or merely advisors....

[PulSamsara]

Say No to Nepotism in the White House.
(look what it's got us for the past 7 years)

America is a Democracy - Not a Monarchy.

Barack Obama for President.

[Elizabeth]

I am pro-life, but that is my view. I can understand how medical treatment might not be possible if there aren't any parents to authorize it. That is the problem with abortion, and it shouldn't even be a issue. It should be a scientific fact, on an average how long does it take a fetus to develop life? As soon as the central nervous system is developed, but those are my views. I was a little amused to learn about the current foreign policy controversy between the two beauty contestants. I think the article was good, because it was simple and non-biased, which is a healthy change from the articles lately. I don't know who would be right in this circumstance. We should make a big deal out of there advisers though, especially there foreign political advisers. I think Barack was the first to introduce us to his team, and he doesn't seem like he's scared of the issue, so I'll assume he has less to hide.