Bill also hits Obama on GOP ideas
Posted: Friday, January 18, 2008 5:22 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli and NBC's Mark Murray
PAHRUMP, NV -- Bill Clinton joined his wife in targeting Barack Obama's statement about Republican ideas, saying that his "legs fell out" when he read it.
"Her principal opponent said that since 1992, the Republicans have had all the good ideas," Clinton told a crowd in Pahrump this morning. "It goes along with their plan to ask Republicans to become Democrats for a day and caucus with you tomorrow, and then go back and become Republicans so they can participate in the Republican primary. I'm not making this up, folks."
He then asked which ideas were better in the last 15 years "than the new ideas I brought to Washington," outlining issue-by-issue where Republicans stood on his accomplishments.
"I can't imagine any Democrat seeking the presidency would say they were the party of new ideas for the last 15 years. But it sounded good in Reno I guess," he said. "So now it turns out you can choose between somebody who thinks our ideas or better or the Republicans had all the good ideas."
Clinton, sporting a bright orange tie, said his wife's campaign is "stock-full of new ideas," and also that she has brought about real results for others her whole life. "So you have a choice," he said. "Do we have to start all over again and say thank you very much all those people who fought those against the extreme right wing of the Republican Party.., Or do we want someone who's a proven change maker?"
Of course, one could very well argue that many of the accomplishments from Clinton's presidency were based on GOP ideas. Welfare reform. NAFTA and free trade. And an emphasis on tax cuts.
Clinton rallied the feisty group of Pahrumpians by touting a new poll showing Hillary ahead by 9 points. "If you all could vote in a normal election, we'd be here to celebrate a certain victory. But you have a caucus, not a primary," he said. "So who will win depends on who wants it the worst, and who will be able to organize themselves to get all of our supporters there in a two hour window tomorrow."
Asked again today about the ruling in the dispute over at-large caucus sites, Clinton said simply, "It is what it is. We've got to suit up and fight on the ground that has laid for us. And I think that nobody should give a second's thought to that now. We should be all focused on getting our supporters to the caucuses."
He also encouraged Nevadans to consider for the future whether they want a caucus or primary in the future.
