Barack Obama has gone on the offensive against Hillary Clinton, accusing her of ducking tough questions over the future of the social security system. In a campaign appearance and a television advertisement in Iowa at the weekend, Mr. Obama adopted a more aggressive tone toward his rival, who dominates the race for the Democratic nomination to the US presidency reports the Financial Times.
Mr. Obama is seeking to revive the momentum that surrounded his campaign earlier this year. He said candidates owed it to voters to explain how they would plug a looming cash shortfall in the government-funded pension scheme.
Campaigning in Des Moines, Iowa, Mr. Obama criticized Mrs. Clinton for refusing to give a straight answer when asked about the issue earlier this month. “A candidate for president owes it to the American people to tell us where they stand,” said Mr. Obama. “Because you’re not ready to lead if you can’t tell us where you’re going.”
Social security is a powerful issue in Iowa, where many participants in the party caucuses that choose the nominee are past retirement age.
In a television advert, Mr. Obama said: “I don’t want to just put my finger out to the wind and see what the polls say,” a reference to criticisms of Mrs. Clinton for running a campaign driven by public opinion polls.
The Illinois senator has become increasingly aggressive in his campaigning against Mrs Clinton, senator for New York, as he struggles to narrow her commanding lead in opinion polls. Mr. Obama had until recently sought to avoid personal attacks against rivals, as part of his promise to rise above negative campaigning. But he has been forced to reconsider his approach because of Mrs. Clinton’s dominance.
Read it here: Obama Accuses Clinton Over Pensions