May 24, 2008
Posted: 02:03 PM ET
From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby, CNN's Chris Welch, CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand
Sen. Clinton listens during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday.
BRANDON, South Dakota (CNN) – Sen. Hillary Clinton said Friday that she regretted comments that evoked the June 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy as part of her explanation for why she was staying in the presidential race late into the primary season. Earlier Friday afternoon, she told the editorial board of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader that "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said. Clinton complained that "people have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa" and said that position "historically … makes no sense." Later at an event in Brandon, South Dakota, she said, "earlier today, I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Sen. Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968, and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nominating primary contests that go into June. That's an historic fact. Update: During an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico on Saturday, Barack Obama reacted to the Clinton RFK comment. According to a quote released by the campaign, he said, “I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here. Senator Clinton says that she did not intend any offense by it and I will take her at her word on that.” Related video: Watch Sen. Clinton's comments to a SD newspaper's editorial board Related video: Watch Brian Todd's report on Sen. Clinton's remarks Friday. Filed under: Hillary Clinton
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