Marathon Pundit: Hillary vs. Obama

If this was an episode of the old Batman TV series, there would be graphics of a fight with "Pow," "Boom," and "Bash" dominating your computer screen.

But not only is it not that show, I don't have the computer graphic skills to create the special effects.

Yesterday my senator, Barack Obama, told the Associated Press that he's disappointed that the presidential campaign has turned negative. The quip "Politics ain't bean bag" goes back to the 19th century. Surely Obama has heard that line.

If he's sorry things have ended up this way, then he picked the wrong profession. Of course it could be that Obama was bolstering his spot on the high road against his chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The timing of his lament could be tied a story in today's New York Times on how Obama as a member of the Illinois State Senate, voted "Present" 130 times on standard "Aye" or "Nay" votes. Bold leadership? Probably not.

Yesterday ABC News reported that the HRC campaign registered two web domains Votingpresent.org and Votingpresent.com, that can only mean that if these sites go live, they will be anti-Obama platforms for the New York senator.

I've remarked a couple of times that Obama should stop bringing up his Illinois Senate career as he campaigns for the White House. True, other than his 2 1/2 years in Washington, it's about all the political experience he has. But since Illinois is probably the most corrupt state in the union, it leaves him exposed to speculation that he hasn't divorced himself from Prairie State sleaze. Tony Rezko comes to mind.

But Mrs. Clinton is more interested in Obama's "present past" as she digs into Obama's years in Springfield.

No one has claimed that Obama has done anything illegal--the same cannot be said about Hillary Rodham Clinton--Whitewater anyone?

And HRC's checkered past betrays one of her weaknesses as a candidate. An attack on the ethics of a rival leaves her exposed to return salvos.

Obama, because of his Rezko connection, faces a similar problem, but on a smaller scale. But since indictments of Illinois public officials and political insiders are a regular occurrence, and lately it's been his party and people tied to hit that have been feeling the brunt of the heat from the US Attorney's office, the issue of corruption could be a headache for Obama if he succeeds in winning the Democratic nomination.

Meanwhile on the Republican end--the general election gunpowder is nice and dry.

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