Obama defends Clinton at Michigan rally

[Hope And Change]

June 17, 2008

Obama defends Clinton at Michigan rally

Posted: 10:15 AM ET

DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) – Barack Obama defended Hillary Clinton at a Michigan unity rally Monday night that featured former Vice President Al Gore — and some off-message audience booing at the mention of the New York senator's name.

After joking about the extended Democratic primary season – “I was planning to run for the '08 election, not the 2012 election!" – Obama responded to some vocal Clinton critics in the crowd, who had reacted to praise for the senator from both the presumptive Democratic nominee and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a longtime Clinton supporter.

"I want everybody here to be absolutely clear — I want everybody here to be absolutely clear — Senator Clinton is one of the finest public servants we have in American life today," said Obama, noting her work on behalf of children's rights and universal health care.

"She has been on the right side of just about every battle that we have fought — she has, in her own words, shattered a glass ceiling into 18 million pieces. ….She is worthy of our respect, she is worthy of our honor.

“…And she's tough! That's why this race took so long. She's a fighter and we need fighters in the Democratic Party. Because we've got a lot to fight for. There's a lot worth fighting for.”

more...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/17/obama-defends-clinton-at-michigan-rally/#more-7925

[Zuiderelle]

1. Thanks, future-President Obama, you gained a bit more respect from me with this.

[Rageneau]

3. Ditto

[DevonRex]

2. That man is good. A good person and good at politics. nt

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. awesome.

[NatBurner]

5. did u read the comments?

the trolls are going over the top :/

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[slinkerwink]

7. kudos to him! People need to let go of their primary anger!

[Life Long Dem]

8. Yeah...

I heard Obama go on and on about Hillary and it had (still does) me wondering if she is alright? I really didn't understand what that was all about. I didn't hear the crowd provoke this talk from Obama. If anyone knows the exact time on the video where the crowd attacked Hillary let me know.

[Scarlett17]

10. I was there.

The quote above makes it sound like it was an immediate response to booing while Obama was talking. It wasn't. Earlier, before Obama, before Gore, while Governor Granholm was speaking there was a lot of booing at the mention of Hillary Clinton. That was what Obama was referring to when he made those comments. He brought it back up so he could address it. It was a very classy and decent thing to do. That man is awesome.

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. Exactly right. Obama made a special point of addressing this

Good for you for being there, I only watched a feed. But at one point he called out a specific anti-Clinton heckler by pointing to him or her and saying "I'm talking to you". It was both a wise AND classy move for him to make.

[Scarlett17]

12. We waited in line for 3 hours. . .

but it was sooooo worth it. I took my fourteen-year-old daughter and her friend with me. We had planned to go before we found out that Gore was going to be there, too. The announcement didn't come until almost 4pm--many people there were already in line and didn't know. The roar was deafening when Gore was announced. It was a surprise to a lot of the audience. They came out together and stayed onstage together through both of their speeches. It was amazing to be there. Definitely an historic event.

[Cha]

15. Obama's good at

classy surprises:D So, happy you got to be there..I can imagine the excitement! And, we saw it in the audience's faces as they were shaking Gore's and Obama's hands and taking their pics when it was over.

[Scarlett17]

17. It was just unbelievable.

I was so glad that I got to go and take my daughter. Volunteers were walking through the lines registering people to vote and one of them asked my daughter if she was registered. I said she was only 14, but she'll vote for Obama for his second term. :headbang:

[Cha]

18. That's what Obama's doing..building

for the future! Perfect example!

[Life Long Dem]

13. And it seems like a one-way street.

Where is Clinton when it comes to her supporters? From reading the replies on the CNN site you would think they were brainwashed by CNN for Hillary. They are full of hate for Obama. Why isn't she straightening this out. One person boos in the crowd and Obama has the decency to confront this.

One comment from the site "How dare any American citizen have the audacity to boo the experience and expetise of Hillary Clinton and the authority she holds on Capitol Hill! Let them support OBAMA and we will end up with a worse mess than what President Bush has created..."
I don't know any candidate who has the experience as a POTUS. And Gore mentioned this in his speech as well.

[rodeodance]

20. Lots obama fans booing as Gov. from MI tried to talk of Hillary. She

tried to quiet them but they went on. Listen to the tape.

[Bake]

9. Very classy indeed.

:woohoo:

Bake

[PatGund]

14. Great article!

But the comments section saddened me. Are there really people out there so bitter that they will vote for someone (Sen. McCain) who goes against everything that Sen. Clinton claimed to stand for during the primary?

[Cha]

16. OT, but, Gore and Obama

look real good there together! I can't wait to hear Gore's speech..by the time I got it on cnn's live feed Gore's was over.

[Vattel]

19. tell me we can't possibly lose with this guy. n/t

[Raejeanowl]

21. I'm Glad He Did That

I hopes he continues in that vein.