Obama, Clinton battle over Iran, gas tax holiday

Obama scolded Clinton for her comments, likening her to President Bush.  Obama said: "It's not the language we need right now.... We have had a foreign policy of bluster and saber-rattling and tough talk.... It is important that we use language that signals to the rest of the world that we are shifting from the sort of cowboy diplomacy, or lack of diplomacy, that we’ve seen out of George Bush.”  Obama described the overall U.S. position in the region as "weak," and called for not just focusing on "our issues" but the needs of allied countries as well.

Addressing the Rev. Wright controversy
Obama acknowledged that the controversy over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has "distracted" attention from the critical issues such as foreign policy and the economy.

Asked by Russert if Obama thought he could have handled it better, the candidate said, “Well, when you’re in national politics, it’s always good to pull the Band-Aid off quick ... but life is messy sometimes.”

Chastising his former pastor for having "no regard for the moment," Obama expressed disappointment that Wright would use the national platform to nurse his own hurt feelings, saying, "[Reverend Wright chose to] amplify those comments, defend them vigorously, and add to it. He threw gasoline on the fire.... I’m sorry he didn’t see it as an opportunity for him to reflect on the justifiable anger and pain that he had caused.”

He clarified that he never has nor will seek Wright's counsel when it comes to politics, adding, “My commitments are to the values of that church, my commitment is to Christ; it’s not to Reverend Wright.”

High-stakes primary
Both candidates are focusing the bulk of their weekend campaigning on Indiana, where polls show the race extremely close ahead of Tuesday's pivotal primaries. 

The candidates stayed overnight in Indianapolis hotels one block apart, and both were campaigning within miles of each other in Fort Wayne before returning to the capital city for the Indiana Democratic Party's Jefferson Jackson Dinner.

North Carolina was also getting some last-minute attention. Both Clinton and Obama shuffled their schedules to dart back to the state on Monday, reflecting the tightening contest there. Polls show Clinton trimming Obama's lead.

A total of 187 delegates are at stake Tuesday in North Carolina and Indiana, but the perception among superdelegates may be more important. An Obama victory in both Indiana and North Carolina could lead to a rush among remaining uncommitted superdelegates to declare their support for the Illinois senator and give him enough to claim the nomination. A split decision or a Clinton victory in both states, on the other hand, could raise doubts in superdelegates’ minds about Obama's electability.

On "Meet the Press," Russert claimed that unconfirmed superdelegates had privately questioned him about Obama’s toughness in the national race for president if he couldn’t properly defend himself against an opponent from his own party. Calling Senator Clinton "the best brand name in Democratic politics" and referring to himself as the underdog, Obama spoke in almost admiring terms of her campaign’s ability to distort his modest beginnings and portray him as an elitist, out-of-touch candidate.

However, he maintained his stance of civil discourse, and sought to highlight his own story as the product of a single mother and hard-working middle-class grandparents living out the American dream. "I would never challenge anyone’s patriotism," he claimed, "and I will not stand by and allow someone to challenge mine."

On ABC, Clinton reaffirmed that she had no intention of dropping out, saying, "When the process finishes in early June, people can look at all the various factors and decide who would be the strongest candidate" to go up against presumptive Republican nominee McCain in the fall.

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