Obama fires back at Bill Clinton

In his Charlie Rose interview, Clinton portrayed Obama’s supporters as arguing that “what we want is somebody who started running for president a year after he became a senator because he's fresh, he's new, he's never made a mistake, and he has massive political skills. And we're willing to risk it.”

Clinton implied Obama was too much of a risk for the Democratic Party.

The John Edwards campaign has also been attacking Obama in recent days for his lack of experience.

“There’s a deep concern about his readiness to be president,” Joe Trippi, an advisor to Edwards, said Thursday.

Citing polling data on Obama — polling data apparently from the Edwards campaign — Trippi said “a quarter of his own supporters think he’s not qualified to be president.”

Edwards himself only served one term in the Senate and has no other experience in elective office.

Clinton gets Register backing
On Saturday the Des Moines Register editorial board gave Clinton its endorsement.

The newspaper has a track record of backing the losing Democratic candidate in the Iowa caucuses.

In 1988 it supported Sen. Paul Simon who lost to Rep. Dick Gephardt. In 2000 it backed Bill Bradley who lost by a wide margin to Al Gore.

Four years ago the Register endorsed Edwards who finished a strong second to Sen. John Kerry in the caucuses.

Meanwhile, Clinton continues to amass votes from many of the more than 800 “super-delegates” who comprise nearly 40 percent of the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.

The super-delegate category includes Democratic governors and members of Congress and former presidents Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

In the last three days, Clinton has announced endorsements by super-delegates Gov. John Baldacci of Maine, Gov. Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, and Rep. Leonard Boswell of Iowa.

MORE FROM POLITICS

Politics Section Front

Senate clears last hurdle before final health vote No pity parties for senators working overtime Did Obama campaign on the public option? Guantanamo prison may stay open until 2011 AIG bonus return pledge goes mostly unfulfilled Abortion looms as possible health bill deal killer Obama rejects criticism on health legislation Fighting breast cancer, Teresa Heinz urges tests Dems, White House predict health care success Several prosecutors probing health care deal Politics Section Front   Add Politics headlines to your news reader: