Ah, primary season is heating up. I think we're all familiar with the harder tone that the Obama and especially the Edwards campaign have taken toward Clinton.
But Obama wasn't mincing words towards Edwards in an interview with the WaPo.
In the interview, Obama has a somewhat softer tone towards Hillary Clinton, at least, that's how it appears from the quotes appearing in the article. He did reiterate the point that he's often made: that he thinks he can bring in more Independents and Republicans than Clinton can. But he also says:
"I want to campaign the same way I govern, which is to respond directly and forcefully with the truth," Obama said. "That means I'm not going to paint a caricature of Senator Clinton. I think she's a smart, able person. I think anybody who tries to paint her as all negative is engaging in caricature, and when you start slipping into that mode, it's hard to come back."
But, he struck a tougher tone towards Edwards:
Obama suggested Edwards had reconstituted himself since his last campaign. "John wasn't this raging populist four years ago when he ran" for the previous Democratic nomination, he said. "He certainly wasn't when he ran for the U.S. Senate. He was in the U.S. Senate for six years, and as far as I can tell wasn't taking on the lobbyists and special interests. It's a matter of, do you walk the walk that you talk?"
Ooh, snap! And there's more:
Obama also said he stacks up favorably against Edwards when their earlier records are compared. "Let me put it this way," he said. "If John wants to make the comparison between the work I did as a community organizer -- or as a civil rights attorney or as a state senator taking on special interests -- to him working as a trial lawyer making millions of dollars, I'm happy to have that discussion."
Hey, I have to say that, as a Clinton supporter, I would be happy if those guys took shots at eachother instead of just at Clinton.
I'm wondering if Obama is striking up a softer tone towards Clinton to stay above the fray more, as it seems that Edwards' attacks on Clinton seem to have, so far, pushed some voters towards him, while Edwards does not seem to be gaining from it himself.