Obama's camp is certainly engaged in really, really vicious behavior. Everyone of a certain age remembers campaigns going into June precisely because we remember that assassination -- and everyone has been saying that for months. It's also the case that people date events in the 1960s by assassinations -- those are the events that stand out and that are readily dated. Any claim that Clinton is waiting for an assassination is what is vicious and shameful.

I strongly disagree -- but at best Clinton's repeated invocations of the memory of 1968 is grossly irresponsible. Assassination of RFK; riots at a contentious convention; Nixon (Nixon!) won.

Clinton should know better. I think she does. The malevolent explanation you hate in fact, in my opinion, gives Clinton credit for self-awareness and intelligence. Clinton is an intelligent woman -- but it is a malevolent intelligence -- end of story.

Beathan

CAM, it isn't Obama's camp that is raising a fuss, it is the press...and many people. In fact, if you bothered to check, his campaign spokesperson said that he thought it was mistakenly interpreted. So don't blame Obama's camp.

I do hope you are right. His campaign's initial comment, at least as reported, did denounce the remark. And his campaign website includes a lot of posts, some actually (I'm not kidding) calling for Clinton's murder. These are not, I understand, his official spokespeople. I was using the term "camp" loosely. But I hope you're right.

Hillary Clinton has done much worse than say, "this statement is unfortunate" when Obama has misspoken. The media jumped on Clinton's remark, then an Obama rep said it was something that shouldn't have been said, then Hillary herself said much more than that in an apology.

Come on, don't jump on Obama for attacking Hillary when he didn't do any such thing. And the presence of idiots on the internet who are on Obama's side isn't meaningful, every cause has supporters who are internet idiots.

Hillary's comment was unfortunate, but not a big deal. Let's not turn this into a war.

As an Obama supporter, I have been concerned that Hillary was hoping, and probably searching for a controversy (ie the Wright debacle,) to launch another political assassination against Obama. Isn't it her only hope? My God, you don't see Mike Huckabee staying in the race because he is fearful that John McCain will drop dead and, given McCain's advanced age, that is far more likely in his case tha in Obama's! If I were Obama , I would not tolerate such attacks from the Clintons because they certainly live in a glass mansion, when it comes to character issues. People have just forgotten!

That depends of course on the meaning of the word *IS* .

Seems like Obama's campaign -- which you know is feeding this frenzy & putting out emails hourly -- will do anything to try to pull out his "victory." They better watch it -- again -- remember how sympathy went towards her after the one time she lost it and cried in New Hampshire? "Vicious and shameful," for sure, CAM. Thanks for telling the truth here -- you are very brave to speak up for Hillary. And yes, you are so right (tragically) --people do, indeed, date events in the '60s related to assassinations. While many of Obama's supporters themselves may be too young to realize or remember that, Obama's staffers (who are feeding this mess) and the media people are NOT. Shameful, yes again. Why can't Obama just win honestly?

"feed" the pro-Obama websites, daily. They provide suggested talking points and even, suggested answers & responses to criticisms. The people on this thread, and others, who will deny it are being either very naive, or worse, really disingenuous. You are correct to use the term "camp" in the wider sense. The media people know this; they just won't admit it.

Ona --

I don't deny that. All modern campaigns do that. Clinton's campaign is actually far better at this traditional "prime the talking point" well than the Obama campaign is -- as seen in Clinton's "Fact Hub" (monstrosity of misleading spin that it is.)

I do deny that I read or work from anyone's talking points. I do not check Obama's site much at all. In fact, I check Clinton's far more just to see what wrongheaded statements I will hear from her supporters next time I read these forums.

Beathan

When the Obama camp first heard about the comment, they said it was inappropriate, but once they actually heard it, they agreed that it seemed to be misrepresented and misinterpreted, so I don't think it's fair to blame Obama.

None of the supporters of either candidate represent the candidates themselves and it's not fair to judge either candidate by their supporters. There are loon supporters on both sides who will say just about anything, and I think we can only judge candidates by what they and members of their campaign say or release.

While I don't believe Clinton was stating she was staying in the race in case something happened to Obama, the fact is that, at this point, it's the only way she'll win. However, I will say I believe she's hoping for something negative ABOUT him to come out, not for something negative TO him to happen.

At the same time, Obama has received NUMEROUS death threats and there is very serious concern for is safety, so while I don't think she meant anything insidious by it, I do believe that the comment was extremely thoughtless and irresponsible, and very much in need of an apology, and to that end, or "apology" was pathetic at best. It was anything but an apology, and completely disregarded the primary concern of the comment, which is that is was inappropriate given the conerns for Senator Obama's safety and that an attempt on is life is very much a concern. There are a LOT of nuts out there, and the comment only increases the concerns for his safety!