The Wall Street Journal-20080114-Politics -amp- Economics- Washington Wire - Insight and Analysis From WashWire-com
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Politics & Economics: Washington Wire / Insight and Analysis From WashWire.com
Clinton, Obama Continue
War of Words Over King
The war of words between Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama heated up after Mrs. Clinton said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the Obama campaign had been intentionally selling a misinterpretation of her comments about Martin Luther King Jr.
Mrs. Clinton told Fox News on Monday: "Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964," something that "took a president" to get done. Some African- American leaders said the comment diminished Dr. King's role in the civil-rights movement. Yesterday, Mrs. Clinton said Dr. King "marched, he organized, he protested, he was gassed, he was beaten, he was jailed. He understood that he had to move the political process and bring in those who were in political power."
Mr. Obama called Mrs. Clinton's implication that his campaign had twisted her words "ludicrous."
"Sen. Clinton made an unfortunate remark, an ill-advised remark, about King and Lyndon Johnson. I didn't make the statement," Mr. Obama said.
-- Amy Chozick
Obama Releases
Stimulus Plan
Barack Obama's campaign released details of a $75 billion economic- stimulus plan that would focus on tax rebates and one-time Social Security benefits sent out immediately, something they championed as superior to a $70 billion Clinton proposal announced Friday.
Other planks include a $10 billion fund to prevent foreclosures for "responsible" homeowners; $10 billion in relief to state and local governments facing declines in property-tax revenue; and $10 billion for unemployment insurance. "The absolutely most-imperative thing is to get the money into people's hand immediately so they can use it and prevent the slowdown," said Austan Goolsbee, the campaign's top economic policy adviser.
Neither candidate has much power to enact a plan. Mrs. Clinton will propose hers in the Senate. Mr. Obama is "putting this forward as the ideal of what America needs," Mr. Goolsbee said.
-- T.W. Farnam
