Demo battle heads west
Obama, increasingly confident that Clinton cannot overtake his lead, ignored her in his prepared remarks at a Portland-area workplace.
Instead he pointedly criticized Republican Sen. John McCain's economic, health and Iraq policies, saying the probable GOP nominee would continue failed Bush administration priorities.
When asked about Clinton, Obama heaped more praise than criticism on the New York senator, continuing his efforts to avoid antagonizing her or her supporters. Speaking later with reporters, Obama hinted that he might help Clinton retire her campaign debt if he prevails.
Also campaigning in Portland, ahead of Oregon's May 20 primary, Clinton took the opposite tack, knowing she can't take on McCain unless she somehow derails Obama. At a round-table at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, she criticized Obama's health-care plan for promising universal coverage to children but not adults.
She added, "This is a big difference in this campaign. It's not a difference of politics so much as commitment. ... How can anyone run to be the Democratic nominee and not have a universal health-care plan?"
Obama, a first-term Illinois senator, says he has not secured the Democratic nomination, even as party superdelegates continue to abandon Clinton, or their previously undeclared status, and endorse him. But his campaign increasingly looks like a general election affair, with him focusing on McCain and devoting two full days this week to Oregon, a perennial battleground state between the two parties.
Speaking to a few dozen employees of Vernier Software & Technology, which develops educational materials, Obama said McCain was "dead wrong when he said recently that he thinks our economy has made 'great progress' under George Bush. Is there anyone outside of Washington, D.C., who could truly believe that?"
He rebuked McCain for supporting Bush's "tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans," a temporary halt to the federal gasoline tax and continued heavy U.S. presence in Iraq.
Obama did not mention Clinton until an employee asked about their respective health-care plans. He acknowledged Clinton's criticisms but said the government should not penalize low-income adults who choose not to buy health insurance even with a significant government subsidy.
Recent comments
Obama taught constitutional law courses. I think Bush might have...
Mark B | May 10, 2008 at 9:29 p.m.
Of course, we've been overlooking Obama's greatest (only?...
o yeah- papers! | May 10, 2008 at 8:18 p.m.
Time for a change. I watch the news and i wonder how can the president...
reah | May 10, 2008 at 7:58 p.m.
