Obama downplays tension with Clintons
Posted: Thursday, August 07, 2008 2:28 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
EN ROUTE FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO CHICAGO -- Obama dismissed any notion that there was tension with the Clintons, suggesting during a 14-minute press conference aboard his plane today that the media was largely responsible for promoting that idea.
The Illinois senator, who departs tomorrow for a weeklong trip with his family to visit his grandmother in Hawaii, said he had spoken with both Hillary and Bill Clinton this week and that they were committed to helping him get elected. "She's campaigning for me in Nevada and Florida, and she is very enthusiastic about the need for a unified party," the senator said when asked about talk among Clinton supporters of putting her name on the ballot for a floor vote at the convention.
Obama said that the "mechanics" of the convention were still being discussed by his staff and Sen. Clinton's staff, and that he did not "anticipate any problems." But he would not say whether he would object to having Clinton's name entered into nomination, instead saying five times that his staff and hers were in contact and were working things out.
"There hasn't been controversy other than what you guys are projecting right now," Obama said in response to several questions about why details of the convention and the nature of Clinton's participation in it had not been settled.
Bill Clinton has been "very supportive", Obama said, adding that he thought the former president had shown "extraordinary restraint in a fairly provocative interview" while on his trip to Africa. "I couldn’t ask for him to be any more gracious than he’s been and supportive since the campaign ended," he said.
Bayh, 'Obama fatigue,' and McCain
The senator again addressed the issue of Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh's past support for Hillary Clinton. "Evan -- despite his support of Hillary -- I think was always very gracious towards me during that period, and you know I thought has been a class act throughout this election process, and he’s been working very hard on our behalf ever since the primaries finished," he said.
Bayh campaigned with Obama yesterday in Indiana, a red state the Obama campaign hopes to put in the blue column. His name has been has mentioned as a potential running mate.
Obama allowed that it was not hard to understand why some voters might feel they are hearing too much about him, as a recent Pew survey finds. He said this year had seen the "longest primary in history," but that his week vacation should result in less coverage, with the media's help.
"I think that the majority of people have been fed a constant stream of political chatter," he said. "And I’m sure that having a couple weeks off and enjoying the Olympics is probably what the doctor ordered for everybody."
The presidential hopeful opened the Q&A with brief remarks on energy and economic issues, and he addressed the discussion about offshore drilling.
"I'm pleased that there were some serious negotiations taking place in the Senate among the so-called Gang of 10. I think it provides a framework for continued conversations," he said "I am not persuaded that offshore drilling is going to provide the kind of significant relief or long-term strategy that we need, but I think there is room for negotiations around a domestic production strategy as long as it's part of a larger comprehensive strategy to deal with our real energy challenges."
He called the back-and-forth between dueling John McCain and Paris Hilton ads a "spat" that was not of prominent concern for the American people, and said the McCain campaign's focus on tire inflation showed that his rival was more interested in scoring political points than finding real solutions to the country's energy challenges.
