George,

The politics of Party destruction is in full swing. Why are the Clintons so desperate to return to the White House that they are willing to give the Party an image of a bunch of bickering mudslingers?

Hillary said today that “He (Obama) came last night looking for a fight.” Why, then, had Hillary come armed with so many punches? I have examined the transcript and count 6 major punches thrown by Hillary compared with 2 jabs from Barack.

The fight actually started with a question from Suzanne Malveaux which was directed at Barack – a question that quoted one of Hillary’s charges that Barack was not fiscally responsible because he had not said how he would pay for 50 billion in expenditures for programs he was proposing.

In the debate, Hillary used this question as an opportunity to throw her first punch. Then came the charges that 2) Barack favored Republican economic policies in the Reagan era, 3) Barack had changed his position on Iraq since 2002, 4) Barack had done legal work for a slumlord, 5) Barack’s vote on a bankruptcy bill in the Senate, and 6) Barack voting “present” 130 times when he was an Illinois legislator.

During this series of punches, Hillary remarked: “We’re just getting warmed up.” Who was looking for a fight?

Barack did throw 2 jabs. The “sitting on the Board at Walmart” one and mentioning a forthcoming Brokaw book in which Hillary and Bill are reported to have said complimentary things about Ronald Reagan. The rest of the time, Barack was on the defensive.

If Hillary becomes the nominee, how many young people are going to join the Party to support this outstanding example of fresh, clean politics?

David RePass (Electronic Mail, January 23, 2008)