|
The Snub Heard Round the World: Obama Gives Clinton Cold Shoulder at State of the Union
By Eric L. Hinton
January 29, 2008
The focus was supposed to be on President Bush as he gave his seventh and final State of the Union address. Instead, the day after, much of the attention is on last night's snub heard around the world that occurred in the aisles.
Sen. Barack Obama was in attendance with Sen. Ted Kennedy, who, just hours earlier, gave Obama a rousing endorsement at American University. While much has been made of events that led to the rift between Kennedy and the Clintons, which precipitated the Obama endorsement, Kennedy still went out of his way to shake hands with the New York senator before the State of the Union address.
But Obama, standing only a few inches away, "stared icily" at Clinton and turned his back on her a few moment later, reports the Chicago Tribune.
In comparison to that encounter, the State of the Union itself was a rather subdued affair, many standing ovations notwithstanding. Bush focused on numerous issues including the war on terror and calls to include $300 million in scholarship money for low-income students, as well as a plea to Congress to approve $30 billion over the next five years to combat AIDS.
Bush also addressed the issue of immigration. "America needs to secure our borders … We must also find a sensible and humane way to deal with people here illegally. Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved, and it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals," Bush said.
Today also marks the Florida primary, in which one-time Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani has staked his political fortune. Giuliani, who as recently as November was leading in Florida polls, now trails both John McCain and Mitt Romney in the state.
More Election '08 >>
Send Your Comments About This Article Now
©DiversityInc. Reproduction in any format is absolutely prohibited.
|
|
digg this | 
mixx! | 
reddit
del.icio.us
Newsvine | 
| 
