Slipping in the polls before Tuesday’s elections in North Carolina and Indiana, Barack Obama criticized Hillary Clinton on Sunday for vowing to “totally obliterate” Iran if it attacks Israel.
“This kind of language is not helpful,” Obama said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And yet, a few days before an election, she’s willing to use that language.”
When told of Obama’s criticism, Clinton refused to back down and reiterated her concern about Iran making good on its threat to develop nuclear weapons for the purpose of destroying Israel.
“I don’t think it’s time to equivocate about what we would do,” Clinton said on ABC’s “This Week.” “They have to know that they would face massive retaliation. That is the only way to rein them in.”
Obama has been losing the support of white blue-collar workers who were appalled by the anti-white and anti-American rhetoric of the candidate’s ex-pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But Obama might be able to offset those losses by racking up black votes.
The Illinois senator acknowledged Sunday that the Wright controversy, which has been raging for weeks, is taking a toll on his campaign.
“It’s distracted us,” he said, later adding, “Hopefully, we’ve been able to put it behind us.”
Meanwhile, Clinton said the possibility of Iran invading Iraq does not justify keeping U.S. troops in Iraq. During a town hall meeting in North Carolina, a voter asked Clinton what would happen if her plan to rapidly withdraw American forces from Iraq prompted Iran to rush in and fill the void.
“I do not believe Iran will go into Iraq,” Clinton replied. “It is something that I am not anticipating, and we are not going to have permanent bases and permanently occupy Iraq because of some contingency that may or may not happen.”
