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Clinton, Obama step up battle
05/05/2008 13:47 - (SA)
Indianapolis - Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton promised wary Americans a new beginning as they stepped up their battle on Monday, the eve of their next fateful date with Democratic primary voters.
But the head of the Democratic Party called for unity in advance of the November election battle with Republican John McCain.
"It's not about Hillary Clinton, it's not about Barack Obama. It is about our country," Democratic National Committee Chairperson Howard Dean told party faithful gathered at a dinner here.
Clinton and Obama spoke at the event as they headed for primaries in Indiana and North Carolina, where Obama hopes to land a knockout, and Clinton hopes to ignite her comeback bid.
Clinton showed up at a Dairy Queen ice cream store, while Obama held a giant picnic with his family, as his six-year-old, Sasha urged people to "Vote for Daddy".
Regrets?
The former first lady was asked on ABC television whether she had any regrets about threatening to "totally obliterate" Iran if it used nuclear weapons against Israel.
"Why would I have any regrets? I am asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for," she said.
But Obama accused Clinton of emulating what he called President George W Bush's "foreign policy of bluster and sabre-rattling and tough talk".
The Clinton campaign took hope from polls showing the rivals locked in a close race in Indiana and cutting Obama's once huge lead in North Carolina.
Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer said "it's clear the Obama campaign is running scared right now".
"They're currently watching our candidate catch fire on the stump and generate a significant amount of momentum going into election day."
The Obama campaign hit back though with an ad excoriating Clinton's call for a temporary moratorium on federal gasoline taxes, which the Illinois senator has ridiculed as a "gimmick".
Conventional wisdom
Clinton trails Obama in nominating contests and pledged delegates, so her last hope is to persuade Democratic party superdelegates, that Obama is too risky to run against McCain in November.
"When the process finishes in early June, people can look at all the various factors and decide who will be the strongest candidate," Clinton, 60, said in Indianapolis, Indiana.
"I feel like I am going to be able to stand up to Senator McCain," said Clinton, who has promised a "game-changer" on Tuesday, after which only six contests will be left in the Democratic nominating marathon.
Conventional wisdom has it that Clinton has to at least win Indiana to stop a stampede of superdelegates towards Obama, and to stay in the race.
If she could pull off a surprise win in North Carolina, she could change the race.
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