Hillary talks Obama, MI, records
Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 3:35 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
PHILADELPHIA -- Clinton told reporters she looked forward to reading the much-anticipated speech on race and religion rival Barack Obama delivered today and said it was important to talk about issues of race and gender.
She also expressed disappointment at reports that a proposal for a re-vote in Michigan was in danger of dying and talked about the upcoming release of some of her records.
"I did not have a chance to see or to read yet Sen. Obama's speech but I'm very glad that he gave it. It's an important topic. Issues of race and gender in America have been complicated throughout history and they are complicated in this primary campaign. There have been detours and pitfalls along the way, but we should remember that this is a historic moment for the Democratic Party and for our country. We will be nominating either the first African-American or woman for the presidency of the United States and that is something that all Americans can and should celebrate."
More: "I think it's important to address these issues of race and gender and I am looking forward to reading it, which I haven't had the chance to do. Bu I think that, you know, these are difficult issues and we have seen that in this campaign. Race and gender are difficult issues and therefore we need to have more discussion about them. So obviously, the more that Sen. Obama and I talk try to about it or try to put it in some context, the more people will feel free to do so as well and I think that's helpful for the country."
Her reaction to news that the prospects of Michigan's re-vote were on life support: "I think that would be real shame. I think that, you know, my campaign has been very public in its support of a re-vote. We have said we would support the people and government of Michigan in trying to do that, which I think is exactly the right thing to do, so I would hope that some last minute compromise would be worked out so that there can be a re-vote and I think there should be a re-vote."
On the release of her first lady schedules: "I think I'm probably the most transparent person in public life," she said, citing the many books that had been written about her. "I understand that the National Archives is finally going to release 11,000 pages of my schedules tomorrow, which, as you know has been totally their prerogative, as their process under law, which they have followed very painstakingly, and I am told that tomorrow they're gong to do it, although I'm told that, I don't know that for a fact. Stay tuned. There will be a lot more. The book and writing and words about me will continue to fill many archives and warehouses across the world."
Clinton's event today began with supporters Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband, former Ambassador Joe Wilson, speaking about their faith in Clinton and in her ability to end the war in Iraq. "This Administration misled Congress and the American people with their misuse of intelligence," said Plame Wilson. "The war has damaged our international credibility and our ability to provide leadership and therefore to collect intelligence that's so critical to our national security."
Plame Wilson said Clinton understands the position the war had put America in and that she had a good plan to help get out of Iraq "in ways that make sense."
The appearance by the two figures, closely linked to the debate over the justification for the war in Iraq, was part of an effort to keep the focus on the war as the country marks its fifth anniversary.
Wilson touched on his own experience in the lead up to the war. "It is totally unfair and misleading to try and characterize George Bush's war as Hillary Clinton's responsibility," Wilson said, before going on the say that she had shown leadership on Iraq.
Barack Obama has repeatedly argued Clinton showed poor judgment by voting to authorize the president to use force in Iraq.
Much of Clinton's speech was a restatement of her plans for Iraq, communicated in a speech yesterday and in previous speeches. She also sought again to draw a distinction between her plans and Obama's plan, after an advisor recently suggested the Illinois senator's plans for withdrawing troops from Iraq might not be carried out if he is elected.
"My plans are not a best case scenario or a promise I do not intend to keep. The work I have done in the Senate has laid the groundwork for what I will do as president," she said.
