VOA常速英语2008年-Clinton Steps Up Criticism of Obama

By Jim Malone
Washington
25 February 2008

In the U.S. presidential election campaign, Hillary Clinton is stepping up her criticism of rival Democrat¹ Barack Obama one week before critical primary votes in Texas and Ohio. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more.

Senator Clinton highlighted her experience in foreign policy during a speech in Washington, and seemed to compare rival Barack Obama to President Bush when he won the presidency² with relatively³ little foreign policy experience in 2000.

"We have seen the tragic⁴ result of having a president who had neither the experience nor the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security. We cannot let that happen again," she said. "America has already taken that chance one time too many."

Clinton has become more aggressive in recent days in attacking Obama for what she says are false charges in some of his campaign literature that question her stands on trade deals and health care reform.

"Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That is what I expect from you," she said. "Meet me in Ohio and let us have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign."

Obama told reporters that he was surprised by the new round of attacks given Clinton's more conciliatory tone in their debate last week.

"I am puzzled by the sudden change in tone, unless these were just brought to her attention. It makes me think that there is something tactical about her getting so exercised. The notion that somehow we are engaging in nefarious⁵ [dirty] tactics, I think, is pretty hard to swallow," he said.

The two Democrats⁶ debate again Tuesday night in Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio and Texas, along with Rhode Island and Vermont, hold primaries on March 4 that could be decisive in the Democratic race.

The latest polls show Clinton and Obama roughly tied in Texas, but that Clinton maintains a lead in Ohio.

Most estimates give Obama about 1,300 delegates at the moment, about 100 more than Clinton.  To win the Democratic Party's presidential nomination⁷ 2,025 delegates are needed.

Meanwhile, the presumed Republican nominee⁸, Senator John McCain, also campaigned in Ohio Monday. McCain is looking to wrap up the party nomination with convincing victories a week from Tuesday that he hopes will force former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to quit the race.

McCain focused on his differences over the war in Iraq with the two leading Democratic presidential contenders.

"They are liberal Democrats. I am a conservative Republican. One of those differences will be about the [Iraq] strategy. And they were wrong, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, when they said that the surge would fail. And they were wrong when they said that the political process would not move forward," he said.

McCain and his eventual⁹ Democratic opponent will have company in the general election battle later this year. Longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader announced he will make a third bid for the White House this year as an independent candidate committed to fighting the influence of corporate¹⁰ lobbyists in Washington.

"When you see Washington, D.C. become corporate-occupied territory," said Nader. "Every department and agency controlled by overwhelming presence of corporate lobbyists and corporate executives in high government positions."

Nader made the announcement on NBC's Meet the Press program.

Nader won nearly three percent of the popular vote in the 2000 election and many Democrats still blame him for taking votes away from Al Gore¹¹, who narrowly lost to President Bush.

Nader ran again four years ago but drew little support.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 nefarious   

adj.恶毒的，极坏的

参考例句：

• My father believes you all have a nefarious purpose here.我父亲认为你们都有邪恶的目的。
• He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds.因为他干了许多罪恶的勾当，所以人人都惧怕他。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

8 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

9 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

10 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

11 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。