Shredding essays and Obama

[ClarkUSA]

WASHINGTON - Santa should leave his toys at the North Pole and get boys and girls what they really need: Shredders.

Heaven forbid if a kid should grow up to run for president in 2048 and have a kindergarten essay thrown in his or her face. But that's
what Hillary Rodham Clinton did to Barack Obama this week, one in a series of criticisms that suggest her presidential campaign is either
overreacting or desperate.

Or both... The abrupt change of strategy comes amid polls showing that while she leads the field nationally, Clinton is in a three-way fight
in Iowa with Obama and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards.

Some polls show Obama with a slight edge in Iowa and a bit of momentum.

Just weeks ago, Clinton chastised her opponents for "mudslinging" and pledged to rise above the criticism. "I'm not interested in attacking
my opponents," she said. "I'm interested in attacking the problems of America."... Clinton and her strategists, including husband Bill, studied
the polls and decided that the Illinois senator needed to be brought down a peg. Like throwing a stone into a calm lake, Clinton's decision
had a ripple effect: She forced Obama and Edwards to reassess their strategies, and may see her own reputation suffer among the play-nice
voters of Iowa.

She already has the highest disapproval ratings in the field. Going negative could drive more voters away... The question is whether Clinton's
criticism forces Obama to air negative ads or sharpen his rhetorical style.

His aides say no, for now... but it was jarring to see a Clinton news release quoting Obama's third-grade teacher about his presidential ambitions.

The release also noted that Obama wrote a kindergarten essay titled, "I want to become president."

Surely, thousands of boys and girls have the audacity to hope today they'll grow up to be president, and some may even put pen to paper.

Shred it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071205/ap_po/on_deadline_negativity_2

Too bad there's a Writer's Guild strike: Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Saturday Night Live would have had a ball this week!