Tim Reid in Washington
Get 20% off your bill at Pizza Express
Hillary Clinton apologised to Barack Obama last night after one of her advisers attempted to highlight the past drug use of her main rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.
The remarks by Bill Shaheen, the chairman of Mrs Clinton’s team in New Hampshire, added to a sense of desperation inside the former First Lady’s once formidable campaign. Following the furore Mr Shaheen was forced to resign from Mrs Clinton’s team.
“I made a mistake and in light of what happened, I have made the personal decision that I will step down as the co-chair of the Hillary for President campaign,” Mr Shaheen said.
His offensive comments about Mr Obama were the latest in a series of attacks that have backfired as Mrs Clinton’s campaign struggles to halt his rise in the polls.
Her aura of inevitability gone after a damaging month, Mrs Clinton apologised to Mr Obama on an airport tarmac as they headed to Iowa for the final televised debate before the state’s January 3 caucuses. The debate was cordial and uneventful.
Polls released this week show that Mrs Clinton’s enormous lead in the second nominating state of New Hampshire has gone. Only last month she had nearly a 20-point advantage over Mr Obama in the Granite State, which was seen as a firewall for her if she failed to win Iowa. Now the two are tied.
In South Carolina, the third state to vote and where Mrs Clinton also enjoyed a large lead recently, Mr Obama has again wiped out her advantage.
Mr Shaheen had raised questions in an interview about Mr Obama’s admission in a memoir that he had used drugs in his youth. Mr Obama wrote in Dreams from My Father, published in 1995, that he smoked marijuana and took cocaine when he was a teenager.
Mr Shaheen argued that the admission would leave Mr Obama open to Republican attacks if he won the Democratic nomination. “It’ll be: ‘When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone’?” Mr Shaheen had said.
“There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It’s hard to overcome.” The Clinton campaign immediately distanced itself from the remarks, prompting Mr Shaheen to quit.
However, the Clinton campaign had sent reporters a memo implying that Mr Obama lied when he said that he only recently thought about running for the presidency. It cited an essay he wrote in kindergarten entitled “I want to be President”.
After Mr Shaheen’s comments, David Plouffe, Mr Obama’s campaign manager, said: “Hillary Clinton has . . . moved from Barack Obama’s kindergarten years to his teenage years in an increasingly desperate effort to slow her slide in the polls.”
There are reports of increasing dissent inside the Clinton camp. Bill Clinton believes that the campaign should take on Mr Obama more aggressively. But such a strategy carries high risks, especially in Iowa, where negative campaigning has backfired in past elections.
Mrs Clinton’s troubles began with a poor debating performance on October 30. Since then her team has been exposed for planting questions at campaign events. On Monday a second Iowa volunteer resigned after forwarding a hoax e-mail claiming that Mr Obama was a dangerous Muslim.
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Explore your passion for food with the delights of Thai, Indian & Chinese cooking
Read our exclusive 100 Years of Fleming and Bond interactive timeline, packed with original Times articles and reviews
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
05/2005
£13,500
08/2008
£109,950
2006
£10,750
Great car insurance deals online
£100k
The National Skills Academy for Social Care
London
£49,229 - £62,035 pro rata
Charity Commission
London/Liverpool/Taunton
£75k - £85k
Confidential
London
Six Figure
Rolls Royce
Midlands/Europe
From £89,950
Great Investment, River Views
$3.5 million
Also avaliable for rent
Times Online Property Search will help you find it
Amazing Far East Offers - Visit Hong Kong
from £499pp
Cruise the Islands of Hawaii - Pride of America
List your property with two leading travel websites
Great travel insurance deals online
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths
News International associated websites: Globrix | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
Obama and Hillary are pretty much the same. None of their policies truly differentiate one from the other. They've both been caught telling Canada not to worry about their rhetoric on NAFTA. Both would like to keep mercenary forces in Iraq. Both have the support of the healthcare industry since their proposed helathcare plans don't eliminate our profit driven system. I hate it when people say that Barack Obama represents change. Yeah right. He's just as establishment as Hillary. Just as bought off and just as likely to to continue to sell out. IF we want real change, neither of them are the answer. Guaranteed.
Elise, Frankfort, Kentucky
I seriously doubt the republicans want Obama to win Hillary wins every Rep will come out of the woodwork just to vote AGAINST Hillary. They hate her much more than the Dems love her. Obama is the only chance Dems have! Vote smart vote Obama!!
Sara, Houston, TX
Hillary represents 'same ole, same ole'. These divisive tactics are all she knows in getting to where she wants to go. Why on earth would Hill and Bill want to return to the white house? Haven't we had enough of those two? Surely, there are millions of other capable Americans who can do just as good or even better than Bill as POTUS. We need a change, a new direction, a new vision, someone with honesty and integrity, who isn't afraid to admit when he transgress. No one is perfect nor righteous. Barack Obama, I believe is the only one among the contenders who fits that description. Let us create history and change the world for the better. Vote Obama in 08. America needs him, the world needs him. God bless his soul.
David Samuel, NY, NY, USA
Obama is the only optoion to get America back! Hilary is not the answer to lead us...just look at her when she speaks. She doesn't care about the good for our country. She only cares about being in power, something she has wanted to obtain for a very long time. She is not the answer. Barack Obama is. I know he will bring our country back to where it needs to be and gain respect around the world...something Hilary will not be able to do. We have to make the right choice and put Obama in office as President. We can not afford 4 or 8 more years of politics as usual. It will all be the same that is going on now. Obama is the answer. Hilary is not.
Rick, Berkeley, CA
The Hillary camp has tried to float many rumors about Obama, and all of them, to the best of my knowledge, are false. It's getting more and more obvious who authorized the spreading of the rumors, and it ain't any underling.
Marianne Vetter, Fresno, CA
Why is anyone surprised at the Clinton tactics after slippery Bill wriggled out of the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals? He's still in the background pulling the strings.
George, Glasgow, UK
Hillary's getting desperate. She's always been very power-hungry, and can't stand to see her dream of being president dwindling. And I absolutely don't trust hse comments that she didn't "authorize" such statements against Obama. Frankly, I don't trust anything she says.
MartthaP, Los Angeles, CA
I really don't see what the problem is with Obama trying drugs in high school. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is NOT taking drugs now. President Bush admittedly did cocaine when he was younger. Who cares?
Janet, San Antonio,
It is a shame what tactics hilary and her team will take in order to win this campaign. Will she stoop that low? Barack Obama is a major threat because he is a good man and i believe this is where the new CHANGE for America is. I believe he will do a lot of good for America. He's honest and he know exactly what he stand for. said, "Some believe you get change by demanding it, some believe you get it by hoping for it. I believe you get it by working hard for change." But the thing about hilary is that she don't understand what it is to hope. If you hope for something bad enough, then you will work hard for it. So hoping for a change come first before you can work for that change. Obama hope for a change, because of this hope when he become president he will stop at nothing to make this change.
Stephanie, Philadelphia, P.A
Campaign aides are being thrown under the bus by the Clintons, trying to slow the momentum of Obama.
I'd rather have Hillary as a Vice President anyway, she'd be free to go nuts on health care, While Barack restores America's respect around the world, I don't think Hillary could accomplish much in that department.
Michael Wilson, Versailles, Kentucky
Campaign aides are being thrown under the bus by the Clintons, trying to slow the momentum of Obama.
I'd rather have Hillary as a Vice President anyway, she'd be free to go nuts on health care, While Barack restores America's respect around the world, I don't think Hillary could accomplish much in that department.
Michael Wilson, Versailles, Kentucky
I don't really care if Hilary apologised, this has been her number one plan from day one. she know that Obama could win and that's why she try to play all the dirty games. I don't see myself voting for someone who is willing to stoop that low. This campaign is not about race or any of that nonesense, its about who is best for this country. For every human being on this earth we all did something that we are not proud of in our life. Obama meant good and that's why he changed for the better and not the worst.
Stephanie, Philadelphia, P.A
Hillary is responsible for this and it will come back to bite her! Shaheen was the scape goat and have resigned over this. Ok she apologized, but the intended damage to try to put a damper on Obama has been done! But, it didn't work! Republicans will not stoop that low to bring up someone's childhood! Who in the Republican Party can point a finger at Obama? Hillary is losing in the polls and Obama is gaining! That's the reason for this attack! I will sure vote for Obama now, not Hillary!
Joycejewel, Irving, TX
´The big picture is that the republicans are supporting Obama so that he has a chance of becoming the democratic presidential candidate because they know that America is not ready for a black president but if Hilary wins the nomination they know they will lose
It is simple really
Nick, miami Florida,
This is nothing else but a strategy for clinton to attack her rivals and later denies being behind anything. So she is trying to clean her image and trying to show to people that she is positive.
You know being a co-chairman of campaign is a temporary job. You can get fire but you still have your initial job. Being fired for political calculation worth that because at the end of the day the guy still has his job but he just lost a temporary job.
Hillary knows what she is doing with all these successive and mediatic firings and appologies.
karl, chicago,