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 The Gloves Come Off, The Claws Come Out
by The Associated Press
Posted: January 22, 2008 - 12:01 am ET
(Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) Democrats
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama clashed bitterly Monday over Bill
Clinton's role in his wife's campaign and Obama's recent praise for Republicans
in a presidential debate five days before the pivotal South Carolina primary.
After a brief discussion of the nation's economic
woes, the debate devolved into an angry exchange between the two senators, with
Clinton noting Obama had taken campaign contributions from a political patron
facing fraud charges and Obama calling Clinton a "corporate lawyer sitting
on the board of Wal-Mart."
As Obama tried to defend his comments about
Republicans and Ronald Reagan, Clinton interrupted and said she has never
criticized his remarks on Reagan.
"Your husband did," said Obama, who has
accused the former president of misrepresenting his record.
"I'm here. He's not," she snapped.
John Edwards, who badly trails his two rivals,
tried to stay above the fray while pleading for equal time.
"Are there three people in this debate, not
two?" he asked.
"We have got to understand, this is not
about us personally. It's about what we are trying to do for this country,"
Edwards said to applause from the audience.
Often speaking over each other, Obama and Clinton
clashed over their legislative records. Obama questioned why the New York
senator had voted for a bankruptcy bill that she later said she was glad hadn't
passed, and Clinton criticized Obama for voting "present" on dozens of
occasions while a member of the Illinois legislature.
"Senator Obama, it's hard to have a straight
up debate with you because you never take responsibility for any vote,"
Clinton said to loud boos. "On issue after issue, you voted present ...
Whenever someone raises that, there's always some sort of explanation."
Obama accused Clinton of playing dirty and saying
anything to get elected, while Edwards joined Clinton in criticizing Obama for
the "present" votes.
Clinton and Obama called for tax rebates for
individuals to help with home heating and other short-term needs. But Obama
claimed he was first with the idea, saying Clinton had "caught up"
with him.
Edwards tried to make a distinction by pointing
out that Clinton and Obama supported a trade deal with Peru. "South
Carolina has been devastated by NAFTA and trade deals," Edwards said.
Obama responded by criticized Edwards for voting
for permanent trade relations with China and struck out at Clinton for saying
last year that NAFTA has been boon to the economy. "I think it's been
devastating," Obama said.
South Carolina holds its primary Saturday. The
two-hour debate was sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, the
gay National Black Justice Coalition and CNN.
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