John, Our Guys Should Talk
Were John Edwards and Hillary planning to do lunch some day very soon to discuss a campaign merger, as some reported? Or was Hillary asking John for a play-date to engage or fuse the two campaigns in a common dialogue and goal? Or was kit merely a dsicussion about limiting the number of people in a debate?
It certainly wasn't sweet nothings Senator H. Clinton, and former Senator John Edwards were whispering to each other at the Annual NAACP Convention today in Detroit. At the end of their tête-à-tête, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, said loud enough to be caught by microphones,
"Our guys should talk."
Was that concern I saw in the eyes of Obama as he approached Clinton and Edwards? The two-minute discussion between Clinton and Edwards started when Edwards strolled casually over to her and shook hands, looking at his papers as they spoke at the end of the end of the forum. Neither candidate was aware that her microphone was still engaged.
Edwards replied, "They are not serious."
"No," Clinton agreed, but, "You know, I think there was an effort by our campaigns to do that. We got somehow, you know, detoured. But we've got to get back to that . . ."
Although back and foreground music and noise interfered with reception of the rest of the conversation, and it was interrupted by Barack Obama, who wanted to shake hands with first Edwards and then Clinton, the above was clear enough. Some saw that as a hint to fuse campaigns or work in long umbilical tandem.
However, I put somewhat of a different slant on the brief discussion, based on the following:
Representative Dennis Kucinich was angry with John Edwards, saying that he displayed, "a consistent lack of integrity." Edwards suggested fewer candidates should participate in presidential forums but may have been misunderstood.
"This is a serious matter and I'm calling him on it," Kucinich was heard to say in a telephone conference. "Whispering, trying to rig an election, then denying what's going on and making excuses. It all reflects a consistent lack of integrity."
Kucinich's was apparently, alluding to the whispering between the two outlined above
Kucinich, whose numbers are rather on the low side, was sensitive about the issue of limiting who participates. Eight Democratic contenders, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Mike Gravel and Kucinich, participated in the program, today.
Both Edwards and Clinton were asked about the exchange Friday, and offered somewhat different explanations.
Back in New Hampshire Clinton said, "I think he (John Edwards) has some ideas about what he'd like to do."
In Iowa Edwards told reporters that he wouldn't bar anyone from such discussions. However, instead of the current format, he would prefer the participants be separated into foursomes, chosen at random. Edwards, added, "The result would be that we would have a much more serious discussion and people would actually be able to see what the differences are between us."
Kucinich admitted that he was perturbed by Edwards' explanation and that he planned to call both Clinton and Edwards quickly to settle the issue.
"I accept their offer to participate in a debate with just the two of them. John should be happy with this, since he wants a small group, " Kucinich said.
Kucinich's anger may stem from his assistance to Edwards in 2004.
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