BLUE BELL, Pennsylvania (CNN) – Over the weekend, Barack Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe accused Hillary Clinton of having a “character gap.” Clinton spokesman Phil Singer returned fire, saying today that Obama’s campaign is perpetrating an "insidious pattern of personal attacks."
Any Democrat listening the harsh language emanating from the campaigns would be forgiven for thinking it might be tough to unify the party this fall.
Clinton was asked by a voter here Monday about the increasingly contentious race, and whether Democrats can manage to come together in the general election. Clinton re-emphasized that Democrats must unite after the primary battle.
"I think we will have a unified Democratic party once we have a nominee, we will go into fall election very committed to taking back the White House," she said. "None of the things I talk about will happen if Sen. McCain is elected."
She praised McCain and their work in Senate together, but added, "As he himself has said, he doesn’t know much about the economy."
The mostly female audience laughed as she ribbed McCain over his economic credentials, but she was serious as she urged Democrats to put aside their differences to defeat the presumptive GOP nominee.
"I think that people that who would have voted for either me or Sen. Obama are going to ask themselves, 'Wait a minute, there are really big differences between the Democrats and the Republicans.' And let’s have a unified party and elect a Democratic president."
UPDATE: Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz issued this response to Clinton's charges against McCain: "Sen. Clinton’s plans to increase taxes and implement massive government spending would only hurt hardworking families and small businesses. Her political attacks against Sen. McCain won’t distract voters from her backward-looking and failed policy stances."
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
But .... notice what she DIDN'T say, namely, "I encourage you, if I don't receive this nomination, to vote for Obama." That would have been a call for unity. What she really means by this is, "Some of my lies are coming home to roost right now, and I don't like it, so let's point to Obama as a source of disunity in the party."
Democrats let's stop all the fighting and judging of candidates. We all look like school kids to the world. Stop all the hate! Lets unite our voice and insist that these two candidate stop tearing the party apart. We cannot let the Republicans. We can overcome this.
Unite the party? Drop out already then! Anyone with a high school diploma can do the math and see that its nearly IMPOSSIBLE for Hillary to come out with more pledged delegates than Obama.
I am from China, please vote for McCain or Hillary, because they will take america to another war & America will loose trillions of dollars again. I am happy to see america loose money in the war & happy to see you americans are fighting among yourselves over this election. Please don't vote for Obama, because he will unite your country & improve your economy. Please vote for McCain or Hillary, because if you are divided, you will fail as a Nation,.
well said, but it aint gonna happen........
the obama-maniacs have already made it clear.
like michelle obama herself said.
you either elect them now or dont expect them to go to the trouble to
bail out the America there not proud of asian......
Missouri McCain 08
of course, I meant: Less Americans hear about...Better it is.
I am supporting HIllary. If Obama gets the nomination, i will throw up. And vote for McCain.... he is a better choice!
I'm an Obama supporter, but if Hillary some how wins and becomes the nominee, I'll vote for her. We need a Democrat, not McCain.
Hillary is so disingenuous...she makes me gag~!! It is really awful that people can't see fully through her shenanigans..........
To Norb:
Mr. Norb, your comment is laughably ignroant and pointless. Regardless of whether you are voting for Hillary, or for Obama, Bill Clinton's ability to make a moving, intelect-filled speech is a far cry from Senator Obama's capabilites. Obama's speeches fall within the margin, of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln. No disrespect to the former President, but if you truthfully think that Bill Clinton's speech makes Obama "look like a little boy", you are either 1. racist, 2. ignorant, or 3. perhaps both.
Have a good day
PS. CNN, I know you will not post this
Hillary Clinton is the QUEEN OF PERSONAL ATTACKS, no matter
how viscious they are. People are seeing thru Hillary as an coniver,
dishonest liar, self-obsessed, do anything, anything to win, put out
a lie and when it comes back to you, blame it on the guy you attack.
I NEVER WANT TO SEE THE CLINTON'S AGAIN AFTER THEIR SCUMBAG STUNTS IN THIS CAMPAIGAN.
A very great place for the Clinton's after this campaign is over, is
in New Orleans helping instead of acting like they care for campaign
reasons, and never to look back once they won. Yes, New Orleans
with the terrific Jimmy and Roselyn Carter. Now would'nt that be
humbling for THE GREAT CLINTON'S.It would take time, but you
may earn a tinsy winsy amount of real respect from the American
people.
AND TAKE PA. GOV. RENDALL WHO HAS BEEN PROMISED THE
SEC. OF ENERGY JOB. HILLARY IS THAT CONSIDERED BRIBARY
IN POLITICS?????I DON'T KNOW, LET'S ASK GOV. RENDALL???
I have voted Democratic for the last 16 years but I will vote MCCAIN if Hillary is the Democrat nominee.
Obama 08
At least McCain doesn't tell us bold face lies about his past experience OR try to weasel out when undeniable proof is offered up to repudiate bogus claims by said bold face liar..
This is expected of Hillary. She did this last time before Ohio and Texas, played the we should work together strategy couple days before releasing the "Kitchen Sick Strategy"....its only time before we see part 2. I say "Kitchen Sick Strategy Part 2" will be available couple days before Penn. LOL Hillary is like somebody you need when you want to cheat the system.
Obama should drop out if any one does. Very devisive to call names and then claim he is being fair?
Hillary needs to quit. She is a liar and the Bosnia story proves it. The Hillary movie just proves how nasty of a woman she is. And you Hillary lovers, Obama won the Texas caucus and won more delegates. Lets throw our support behind Obama.
On this point, Hillary is right, whether its Obama or Hillary, we can't have 4 more years of Bush politics. Our nation can't survive is McCain wins.
Thank you for saying that Mrs. Clinton. I do hope that the party will come together no matter which one of you is nominated. I pray that you will stand by these words and not choose to praise McCain as you have been doing.
Obama '08
If Richardson wanted to back stab Hilary, he would have done it before Texas. Hilary doesn't care about party unity. If she was to win all the contests left 60% to 40% she still wouldn't catch up to Obama. But we have a media that gets ratings as long as this progresses. We keep this up and in January we will bew watching the McCain walk up the stairs of 1600 Penn .
If Hillary Clinton really cared, she would get out of the race, but like every single thing she has ever said, she is insincere.
Obama can not win the National election, no matter how proud Michele is of America now..
well said, but it aint gonna happen........
the obama-maniacs have already made it clear.
like michelle obama herself said.
you either elect them now or dont expect them to go to the trouble to
bail out the America there not proud of agian......
Missouri McCain 08
ps: just a typical white mans oppion.
The election hunt started out so positively, now it has found it's way into the gutter.
To Greg:
I am supporting Hillary. If Obama gets the nomination, I will vote for McCain....it works both ways.
Nasty words, like calling Clinton a "monster", are not nearly as harmful as nasty actions, like denying Democratic voters in Florida and Michigan a voice.