2008 Woodie Awards
"This American Crucible": the Democratic slugfest
Kyle West
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Forum
"What I said was is that Ronald Reagan was a transformative political figure because he was able to get Democrats to vote against their economic interests to form a majority to push through … an agenda that I objected to. Because while I was working on those streets watching those folks see their jobs shift overseas, you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart. I spent a lifetime fighting against Ronald Reagan's policies. But what I did say is that we have to be thinking in the same transformative way about our Democratic agenda."
Clinton, in response, accused Obama of working for a slumlord. According to the transcript, Clinton said that Obama's remark came across "as though the Republicans had been standing up against the conventional wisdom with their ideas … They were bad ideas. Bad for America, and I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago."
Both candidates rushed to defend themselves from the mudslinging. Obama calmly stated that although the law firm he worked for listed Tony Rezko, a prominent and tainted figure in Illinois politics, he logged only five hours on one of the cases involving Rezko.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Obama's campaign also had previously received donations from Rezko, money that had originated from a fraudulent scheme, among other sources. Obama returned the money immediately, once the money's origins were discovered.
Clinton went on the offensive in response to Obama's assertion that she worked for Wal-Mart, saying that although she was a corporate lawyer for Wal-Mart, she fought for gender equality and better pay.
But who will win? Who is ahead as of the South Carolina primary? In case you missed it, Obama won by a landslide of 55 percent, Clinton came in second with 27 percent and Edwards took third with 18 percent of the vote, according to CNN. Interestingly, the gender breakdown of the Democratic voters reveals that only 39 percent of the votes were cast by men, while a whooping 61 percent of voters were women. Comparatively, the breakdown for Republicans reveals an equal split of 51 percent male to 49 percent female. I'd say this race just got a whole lot more interesting.
Clinton, in response, accused Obama of working for a slumlord. According to the transcript, Clinton said that Obama's remark came across "as though the Republicans had been standing up against the conventional wisdom with their ideas … They were bad ideas. Bad for America, and I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago."
Both candidates rushed to defend themselves from the mudslinging. Obama calmly stated that although the law firm he worked for listed Tony Rezko, a prominent and tainted figure in Illinois politics, he logged only five hours on one of the cases involving Rezko.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Obama's campaign also had previously received donations from Rezko, money that had originated from a fraudulent scheme, among other sources. Obama returned the money immediately, once the money's origins were discovered.
Clinton went on the offensive in response to Obama's assertion that she worked for Wal-Mart, saying that although she was a corporate lawyer for Wal-Mart, she fought for gender equality and better pay.
But who will win? Who is ahead as of the South Carolina primary? In case you missed it, Obama won by a landslide of 55 percent, Clinton came in second with 27 percent and Edwards took third with 18 percent of the vote, according to CNN. Interestingly, the gender breakdown of the Democratic voters reveals that only 39 percent of the votes were cast by men, while a whooping 61 percent of voters were women. Comparatively, the breakdown for Republicans reveals an equal split of 51 percent male to 49 percent female. I'd say this race just got a whole lot more interesting.
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