Clinton's Concession?

New York Amsterdam News › August 25, 2009

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Summary

After viewers were shown clips of [Hillary Clinton]'s tirade against [Barack Obama] about the circulation of fliers that misrepresented her position on health care and NAFTA, Clinton picked up her lance and attacked. "You know, for example, it's been unfortunate that Senator Obama has consistently said that I would force people to have health care whether they could afford it or not," she began rather testily. "Health care reform and achieving universal health care is a passion of mine. It is something I believe in with all my heart. And every day that I'm campaigning, and certainly here throughout Ohio, I've met so many families - happened again this morning in Lorain who are just devastated because they don't get the health, care they deserve to have. And unfortunately it's a debate we should have that is accurate and is based in facts about my plan and Senator Obama's plan, because my plan will cover everyone and it will be affordable. And on many occasions, independent experts have concluded exactly that."

There was a bit of resolution, however, on the matter of Minister Louis Farrakhan. After badgering from [Tim Russert] about Farrakhan, Obama said: "You know, I have been very clear in my denunciation of Minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments. I think that they are unacceptable and reprehensible. I did not soUcit this support. He expressed pride in an African-American who seems to be bringing the country together. I obviously can't censor him, but it is not support that I sought. And we're not doing anything, I assure you, formally or informally with Minister Farrakhan."

"I have to say I don't see a difference between denouncing and rejecting," Obama explained. "There's no formal offer of help from Minister Farrakhan that would involve me rejecting it. But if the word 'reject' Senator Clinton feels is stronger than the word 'denounce,' then I'm happy to concede the point, and I would reject and denounce."

Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had what should be, if it isn't, their last debate in Cleveland Tuesday evening and other than a contretemps between Clinton and commentator Tim Russert, one of the questioners for MSNBC, it was more of the same between the two contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination. With a scarcity of sharp exchanges between the candidates and an audience that erupted only a couple of times, the debate was almost as boring as the recent heavyweight championship fight between two Russians, whose names are almost as difficult to pronounce as Clinton's attempt to remember the opposition leader to succeed Putin or Obama's repeated muffling of Massachusetts, which seems strange since he went to school there.