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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



A truce?

Posted: Monday, January 14, 2008 7:47 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
Hillary Clinton just released this statement: “Over this past week, there has been a lot of discussion and back and forth - much of which I know does not reflect what is in our hearts. And at this moment, I believe we must seek common ground. Our party and our nation is bigger than this. Our party has been on the front line of every civil rights movement, women's rights movement, workers' rights movement, and other movements for justice in America.
 
More: “We differ on a lot of things. And it is critical to have the right kind of discussion on where we stand. But when it comes to civil rights and our commitment to diversity, when it comes to our heroes -- President John F. Kennedy and Dr. King -- Senator Obama and I are on the same side. And in that spirit, let's come together, because I want more than anything else to ensure that our family stays together on the front lines of the struggle to expand rights for all Americans.”

*** UPDATE *** Apologies for not seeing this earlier (we're preparing for tomorrow night's debate on MSNBC), but Obama was the first to extend the proverbial olive branch. Per the AP, "Obama was the first to try and quell the controversy that flared in the Democratic campaign in recent days, calling reporters together to say he didn't want the campaign 'to degenerate into so much tit-for-tat, back-and-forth that we lose sight of why all of us are doing this.' Referring to Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards, he said that while they may have disagreements, 'we share the same goals. We're all Democrats, we all believe in civil rights, we all believe in equal rights.'"

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a-body has to read message boards/forums to get to any truth. Media are proving they are puppets. Narrow-minded, at that--definitely appearing bought-and-paid-for, as in bought-off/paid-off.

WHEN are the media and the candidates going to give us Substance! This is NOT a high-school-personality-contest! America is being sold off, piece by peace--we are in the middle of electing our next Commander-in-Chief, trillions of dollars in debt--TO COMMUNIST CHINA and SAUDI ARABIA, for pete's sake!, millions in poverty, jerks like Romney forcing buy-outs of America's jobs (Of Course our president OK'd the "sale" of 20 Billion Dollars worth of high-tech weaponry! It's just a trade off/lowering the amount of our debt--they have us over a barrel!--(please pardon the unsightly cleche').

No wonder so many are still Undecided! There is No Substance from our candidates, No Substance from our media. This is the wildest political kangaroo-court scenario I have ever witnessed--having been in/around politics 30 yrs +-.

Sure, DEMS champion 'everyone's' civil rights--except for any who can't speak for themselves.
Obama blinked.    When guys like Bob Johnson take you to the woodshed you know you have a political loser on your hands.

This whole thing hurt Obama with the hispanic community as well, who don't like African American race politics.
Clinton, Obama Step Back From Race Flap

Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama stepped back from a controversy over race Monday night, agreeing that a prolonged clash over civil rights could harm their party's overall drive to win the White House.

Regardless of whether you're on the Obama Camp or Clinton camp, who do you believe got damaged the most from this ordeal?

http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=1538

.
I agree this was a manufactured feud. It was manufactured by the Clintons, and kept alive by the Clintons explicitly for the purpose of keeping the story line away from Hillary's extraordinarily intriguing comment in Vegas the other day:

"No woman is illegal."

Just four words, which should raise so many questions. But none were asked, because everyone was focused on the spat.
Good for both of them, good for democrats.  Hopefully the media can finally move on to covering where the candidates stand on issues and stop blowing single sentance statements out of proportion.
"We're all Democrats, we all believe in civil rights, we all believe in equal rights."

Yes! This is why I support Obama. He gets the big picture, while Hillary is stuck in the details. She is self-serving, he will serve a larger cause.
It's sickening that Obama and the people associated with his campaign started this non-sense to begin with. It goes to show that this man would say or do anything to get himself elected. He doesn't care if our party is fractured because of his campaign rhetoric, he only cares about himself.
I could never vote for a despicable man like this. My devotion to this party runs too deep than to allow it's principles to be compromised by a man who puts self above service, and "winning" over ideololgy/morals.
If this guy gets the nomination, I'm voting Republican. I will not be bullied into voting for anyone!
This horse has been dead for days; let's bury it and move on before the stench of decay overwhelms us completely.  There are important things to consider: differences between the candidates' economic stimulus proposals (see Krugman's recent column), for example, and the hardly mentioned fact that Huckabee has advocated changing the Constitution to align with God's law.  
Yes, it's NOT their "racism" (it's absurd to call the Clintons "racist"); it's their selfish blind ambition. So sad. No other dream, including MLK's, is to supersede theirs. Thus, they will do what it takes. Numbers are objective --- one is one, two is two, etc. The black population IS 12%.
You people are COMPLETE idiots.  Don't you get it!!!  It really - I REPEAT REALLY - doesn't matter who said it first.  Let's face it - either one (Clinton or Obama) would make fantastic Presidents.  Perhaps even a President and the VP.  With this back and forth - it just continues to pour gasoline on a fire.  Stop the nonsense!!!

Who really cares - Hillary proposed an economic stimulus one day before Barack - Barack's could be better - who knows?

Makes me want to stay home and sit this one out on February 5th.  The supporters of both OBAMA and CLINTON are pathetic at BEST!!!


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