News
2007-09-01
Elizabeth Edwards
talks of Clinton "hatred"
Elizabeth
Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John
Edwards, says ''hatred'' of his rival Hillary Rodham Clinton
w
Elizabeth
Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John
Edwards, says ''hatred'' of his rival Hillary Rodham Clinton
would motivate Republicans to vote against her in the
general election.
''I want to be
perfectly clear: I do not think the hatred against Hillary
Clinton is justified,'' Elizabeth Edwards said in an
interview with Time magazine, out this week. ''I
don't know where it comes from. I don't begin to
understand it. But you can't pretend it doesn't exist,
and it will energize the Republican base. Their nominee
won't energize them, Bush won't, but Hillary as the nominee
will. It's hard for John to talk about, but it's the
reality.''
Responding to
Mrs. Edwards, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said polls show
that Clinton will be a strong opponent against the
Republicans seeking the presidency.
''Senator Clinton
leads all the leading Republicans in national and key
swing state polls because Americans know she is the Democrat
with the strength and experience to bring real
change,'' Singer said.
Elizabeth Edwards
has become the voice for many criticisms of her
husband's leading rivals. She has suggested that Obama and
his campaign plagiarized material from Edwards's 2004
presidential campaign and criticized Obama for
opposing the Iraq war but voting for the funding,
saying that he's been ''behaving in a holier-than-thou
way.''
But many of her
criticisms have been aimed at Clinton. She's criticized
her for not having the ''political will'' to enact universal
health care. She also said her husband has a better
record on women's issues than Clinton.
Last year, Mrs.
Edwards apologized to Clinton after saying her choices in
life have made her happier than the New York senator.
John Edwards also
has been making distinctions with Clinton as he tries
to overcome her strong lead in the primary race, but his
criticisms have been more veiled. Last week, during a
speech in New Hampshire, he said Washington is corrupt
and suggested Clinton was part of the system.
''The American
people deserve to know that their presidency is not for
sale. The Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent,'' Edwards said,
referencing a Clinton-era controversy in which
high-dollar donors were allowed to stay in the White
House's famed bedroom.
Clinton is a
divisive candidate, with a recent Gallup Poll showing her
unfavorable rating at 48% and her favorable rating at 47%.
(AP)
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