Clinton's fierce partisanship versus Obama's more conciliatory vision [View All]

[Karmadillo]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/6816.html

Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) offered an arena full of Iowans a sharp choice between her fierce partisanship and his more conciliatory vision, between "turning up the heat on the Republicans" and "a nation healed."

They addressed a crowd of Democratic activists on Saturday evening at the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson Jackson Day dinner in Des Moines, which marked the beginning of a breathless sprint to this state's caucuses Jan. 3.

Obama's red-shirted supporters in the balconies won the tacit contest to make the most noise in the cold, crowded arena. Neither Obama nor former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) criticized Clinton by name, but both offered indictments of her judgment and capacity to bring change, and of the broader compromises of Clintonism.

The senator from New York, for her part, sought to turn the party's focus away from her and onto the White House and the Republican Party.

"I'm not interested in attacking my opponents, I'm interested in attacking the problems of America," Clinton said. "And I believe we should be turning up the heat on the Republicans. They deserve all the heat we can give them."

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