It didn't take long for Sen. Barack Obama's campaign to hit back on Sen. Hillary Clinton's CNN interview this afternoon.
Most notable was her answer about the driver's licenses for illegal aliens issue, a topic that has generated heated discussion since last week's debate.
Here's the exchange from the Situation Room transcript, where Clinton (D-N.Y.) defends not answering the question by noting the issue's "complexity."
Candy Crowley: Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. You have said you broadly support what the governors are doing. Let me narrow that question down: If I wrote a story that said absent a broad illegal immigration bill, 'Hillary Clinton agrees about giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants,' is that correct?
Hillary Clinton: No. What I said is that I support what governors are trying to do. And governors are on the front lines because of the failures to get comprehensive immigration reform. There are already eight states that issue driver's licenses without any verification of citizenship. That's a decision that the governors and legislatures and the people of those states have made. I understand …
Crowley: But do you see why people think …
Clinton: You know, Candy …
Crowley: … that you are not answering the question.
Clinton: I think that if you go back and look at the complexity of this issue, I don't think a lot of these hard questions lend themselves to raising your hand and I know that that's easier in 30 seconds context to try to do.
I think the fact that governors are being forced into this position is really unfortunate. They should not be making immigration policy. The federal governor should be making immigration policy. And that's what I'm going to try to do as president again.
And I do not believe that in the context of federal immigration reform that that would be an issue that governors would have to contend with.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded: "The only person playing politics today is Senator Clinton. It's absurd to compare a simple yes or no question about immigration that Senator Clinton still won't answer seven days after the debate to the despicable Republican attacks against John Kerry and Max Cleland's patriotism. Senator Obama believes that to truly stand up to the Republican attack machine, we have to be honest and straightforward about where we stand on the major issues facing America."
Here's the tape.
As our exclusive FOX 5-Washington Times-Rasmussen Reports poll suggests, this is a hot topic for voters, 77 percent of whom think giving illegals licenses is a bad idea. Don't expect the Clinton criticism on the issue to go away any time soon.
--Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (11)
Will someone ask the same exact question to Obama? Let's hear him to give an yes or no answer.
Posted by Linda | November 6, 2007 7:42 PM
There aren't any "yes or no" answers that apply to our country as a whole in the real world only the world of the media who gets to ask questions and stipulate a "yes or no" answer. In the real world issues are much more complex and multi-faceted. I would hope the people of this country can see through the smoke screen that is being created to confuse our rational thinking processes.
Posted by Vicki Campbell | November 6, 2007 11:24 PM
Obama already said he supported licenses for illegals.
Actually, I can't support either of them for this stance.
Posted by JW Morrison | November 7, 2007 12:32 AM
I remember Bill was afraid to answer questions.
Who or What is Senator Clinton afraid of? Kenneth Starr? Impeachment?
Posted by Anonymous | November 7, 2007 12:44 AM
Hillary Rodham Clinton will say whatever she thinks people WANT TO HEAR in order to get what she wants - power! She is inherently dishonest and blindly ambitious. Who KNOWS what she stands for? HOw insulting that she thinks we're so stupid as to not see through her double-talk!
Posted by Dion | November 7, 2007 12:46 AM
"... what I am going to do as president again ..." Humm, she wants to regain the presidency? Guess the truth finally is revealed. Billy Bob as vice-president? Please. What other governmental positions can be filled with Clintons? Chelsea as secretary of state? Roger Clinton as head of the DEA? What else will we see when she wins the election? Be very, very afraid.
Posted by ozarkbob | November 7, 2007 1:18 AM
I don't get it about the whole drivers licenses and illegals things. It's not like you're giving them a social security number. Do people want illegals driving around without having been tested for the rules of the road? That's crazy. Hillary must have done some polling and found out that people were looney tunes on this issue, so she ducked it. That just shows she's a smart politician. For Obama and the others to attack her on THIS issue just shows a whiff of desperation. There's so many other legitimate things you could attack her on.
Posted by George Robertson | November 7, 2007 9:26 AM
George, one problem is that many states use a driver's license (dl) as ID to register vote (Clinton-era motor-voter laws) and since (as here in WA) the people issuing the dl are not allowed to ask about the legality of the status of the applicant for a dl, and the state is moving to mail-in-only voting, ... well I'm certain that you get at least one of the practical negative ramifications of allowing illegals (oops, undocumented workers) to have dl's. And there is the fact that they are breaking the law. But of course that seems to be left out of the argument.
Posted by ozarksbob | November 7, 2007 7:07 PM
Second to last paragraph of interview of above:
"And that's what I'm going to try to do as president again."
What on earth is THAT Fruedian slip all about? Did she really think she was a co-president with Bill?
For the record, this illegals with licenses issue really IS a simple question-either it's a bad idea, or it isn't. Confusing the matter and claiming the issue is "complex and multifaceted" is a smoke screen for a "yes, it's a good idea" position that isn't well thought out. Face it, she's busted on this one. It won't go away anytime soon.
Posted by Randy | November 8, 2007 10:48 PM
Hillary Rodham Clinton does not believe in giving licenses to illegals because she supports amnesty. That is the follow up question. She says she understands the need of state governors to do something but that they shouldn't have to; since the Federal goverment should deal with the issue. Her answer is true since if we grant citizenship to all the illegals in America today, then there will be no illegals to receive licenses.
Hillary, given that you think that it is the federal government forcing the governors' backs against the wall thereby forcing them to take action; Do you feel the federal government should deport the illegal aliens or make them legal citizens so that they are entitled to a driver's license.
Posted by Stephen | November 23, 2007 9:48 PM
Think Willie was Slick?
Watch out for his Chick!
Posted by Walter Reed | November 24, 2007 12:23 AM