Democratic Debate Part III
Obama ends with a bit of a reverse "moment"...praises HRC...says she's a "magnificant" campaigner... taking away her chance to land a last-minute punch....saying he looks forward to working with her...."there's no doubt that Hillary Clinton would be a much better president than John McCain..."
HRC does know Medvevev's name but has trouble pronouncing it, while Obama brings it back to Bush...
Russert's "Gotcha question"... the name of the President-would-be is Dmitry Medvedev , btw.
Obama bashes National Journal, which judged him the most liberal Senator...
HRC notes that she rejected the support of a third party in NYC that was anti-Semitic...by way of contrast to Obama. "I was willing to take that stand..." Obama concedes the point.
Russert moves on to Rev. Jeremiah Wright.... Obama talks about wanting to rebuilding the relationship between the Jewish community and the black community....
Obama: "I have been very clear in my denunciation of minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments." It is "not support that I sought. We're not doing anything formal or informally with minister Farrakhan."
HRC: "The American people who support me are bankrolling your campaign."
Russert to HRC: "Why won't you release your tax return" so the Am people "can see who is bankrolling your campaign?"
Russert: "You may break out of public financing? You may break your word?"
On public financing: is Obama waffling? "Why won't won't you keep your word in writing?" Obama: "When I am the nominee, if I an the nominee, then I will sit down with John McCain and make sure that we have a system that is fair for both sides..."....mentions McCain's maneuvering within the system so far... "What I want to point out more broadly is how we approached this campaign from the beginning..."
Obama: "There's nothing romantic or silly..." about getting the American people "activated" for change.
HRC: "I know it takes a fighter. It takes someone who will go toe-to-toe with the special interests...." Explainer her "celestial choirs" comments.... "The special interests are not going to give up without a fight."
What? They played the tape in error? Softball? "How did you take those remarks when she said them? Obama: "I would give her points for delivery."
HRC: after a commercial, NBC plays the "celestial choirs will be singing" riff that HRC went on over the weekend... Obama: "sounds good" ....
HRC goes after Obama for not holding hearings as a Foreign Relations subcommittee chair on Afghanistan....
Both candidates refuse to say whether they'd go back into Iraq if it "went to hell" after withdrawal....