Dems dig in for big battle

After Clinton’s campaign comeback, Obama said he
is sharpening his criticism of her.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Wednesday that her primary victories in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island had reordered the Democratic presidential race in her favor. A resilient Barack Obama countered with fresh pledges of support from superdelegates and said his lead remained intact.

One day after his worst showing in a month, Obama blamed negative attacks by the former first lady for his defeats and quickly made good on a promise to sharpen his criticism of her.

But there was no disputing he had missed a chance to drive her from the race. Or that in contrast to the Republicans, who have settled on Arizona Sen. John McCain as their nominee, the Democrats face the prospect of a potentially divisive campaign lasting deep into spring.

“I’m concerned about unity. That’s the major reason I’ve stayed out of this,” said Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who is neutral. “The longer this campaign goes on, the more difficult it will be to unify and heal.”

Returns from Texas caucuses showed Obama reclaiming some of the ground in the delegate competition that he lost Tuesday night as Clinton piled up victories. Overall, she showed a gain of 12 delegates for the contests on the ballot, according to The Associated Press count, with another dozen to be awarded. In all, 370 were at stake. Texas Democrats were still counting ballots from the Tuesday night caucuses.

John McCain got a White House embrace from President Bush on Wednesday, along with the party perks that go with sewing up the Republican nomination. The endorsement has baggage, though, reminding voters of the drawn-out Iraq war and the nation’s economic woes under an unpopular GOP president.

Bush, who defeated McCain in a bitter 2000 primary campaign before winning the presidency, said the Arizona senator’s “incredible courage and strength of character and perseverance” carried him to the nomination this time.

Those characteristics, Bush said, are what the nation needs in a president: “somebody that can handle the tough decisions, somebody who won’t flinch in the face of danger.”

The words held special resonance as the president who ordered the Iraq invasion five years ago stood outside the White House alongside one of the war’s most resolute supporters. Neither man mentioned Iraq, though Bush said McCain would be “sitting in there behind that desk making decisions on war and peace.”

Even that mention was coupled with Bush’s lighter statement that “I’m going to be in Crawford with my feet up.”

Democrat Obama blamed his primary defeats in Ohio and Texas on Clinton’s criticism and news coverage that he argued benefited her at his expense.

The presidential candidate said he planned to do more in the days ahead to raise doubts about his opponent’s claims to foreign policy and other Washington experience. In a television ad that her campaign credits with helping her win, she portrayed herself as most prepared to handle an international crisis.

“What exactly is this foreign policy experience?” Obama asked mockingly. “Was she negotiating treaties? Was she handling crises? The answer is no.”

Clinton, asked in TV interviews Wednesday about her national security qualifications, ticked off a series events in which she played a role, including peace talks in Northern Ireland, the Kosovo refugee crisis and standing up for women’s rights in China. She also cited her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Obama’s campaign immediately delivered on his pledge to criticize Clinton. Aides distributed a memo and held a conference call to question why she won’t release her income tax returns.

A Democratic-leaning group financed by a major labor union and wealthy liberal activists is running ads against Sen. John McCain in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the beginning of a media campaign against the GOP nominee-in-waiting.

Called “McSame,” the ad portrays McCain and President Bush as interchangeable on key issues such as Iraq, tax cuts and health care.