President Clinton denies he made racist remarks about Obama
WASHINGTON - President Clinton acknowledged in an interview aired yesterday that he regrets some of his comments during the Democratic presidential nomination fight, but denies he made racist statements about Barack Obama.
Clinton also accused news organizations of applying "a different standard" to his wife, Hillary Clinton. But when asked about it on ABC's "Good Morning America," the former president said that spending time on such recriminations "interferes with the issue, which is who should be elected in November."
Asked whether he blames himself for his wife's loss, Clinton replied, "There are things that I wish I'd urged her to do. There are things I wished I said. Things I wished I hadn't said, but I am not a racist. I never made a racist comment and I didn't attack him personally."
"I bragged on Senator Obama hundreds of times," he said from Rwanda, where he is continuing his private foundation's work to fight AIDS in Africa. "I never was mad at Senator Obama. I think everybody's got a right to run for president who qualifies under the Constitution. And I'd be the last person to begrudge anybody their ambition."
He was criticized for apparently disparaging Obama's victory in the South Carolina primary.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Obama told voters in Missouri last week that one way to conserve energy is "making sure your tires are properly inflated."
Yesterday, McCain's campaign offered "Obama Energy Plan" tire gauges to supporters for a donation of $25 or more, and the Republican National Committee gave them to newsrooms in Washington for Obama's birthday.
Obama's campaign responded by noting that the Bush administration's energy department, Republican Governors Charlie Crist of Florida and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and even NASCAR have also advised proper tire inflation.
"Senator McCain and his Republican allies just can't help themselves - given the choice between offering real solutions or engaging in more negative attacks, they choose the low road every time," Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement.
FOON RHEE
