Obama 'not clear on' Clinton Iraq plan

'My judgment was that we should not be proceeding'

AMES, Iowa -- Without mentioning her name, White House hopeful Barack Obama took a shot at chief rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday for voting to authorize the Iraq war and for her plan to get U.S. troops home.

Obama frequently mentions in his stump speeches he opposed the Iraq invasion as a Senate candidate in 2004, creating implicit criticism of senators running for president who did -- including Clinton.

He enters the 2008 Demo-cratic primary contest free of having to explain a vote for a conflict that has devolved into a civil war.

In Obama's first news conference as a presidential candidate at Iowa State University, he was asked why that vote was important. The war, Obama said, should never have been authorized.

"Even at the time, it was possible to make judgments that this would not work out well," said Obama, whose Achilles heel is lack of experience. "I feel good about the fact that my judgment was that we should not be proceeding, and I think that speaks to, hopefully, my judgment that I'll be bringing to the office of president as we move forward."

Obama, Clinton and other senators have bills pending that would force the Bush administration to drop its plan to send more troops to Iraq and set an end date for bringing them home.

Obama was asked what he thought of Clinton's proposal, which includes stripping funding from Iraqi officials propped up with U.S. money.

"I am not clear on how she would proceed at this point to wind down the war in a specific way," Obama said. ". . . Again, how she wants to accomplish that I am not clear on."

Asked to react, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said Clinton "has been a forceful critic of the Iraqr."

"Had she been president in 2002, she would not have started this war, and if Congress doesn't end this war by January of 2008, as president she will," Wolfson said.

In another mark of the international nature of Obama's candidacy, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said al-Qaida would welcome an Obama win.

Obama said he took the attack by a Bush ally as a "compliment . . . right now, and my understanding is Mr. Howard has deployed 1,400, so if he is ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq."

Later at an ISU rally, Obama reiterated his theme that cynicism is the worst malaise dogging American public life, and he promised again to bring "fundamental change" to the White House.

"Politics has become a business, not a mission," he told the enthusiastic audience of about 7,000.

While Obama allowed he is "an imperfect vessel for your hopes and dreams," he implored the crowd to support his candidacy and solve a broad "series of challenges" including energy efficiency, the war on terrorism, affordable college education, improved public schools -- including salary hikes for teachers -- and universal health care.

No American should go "bankrupt when they get sick," he said, suggesting electronic patient files to save millions in health care. He also called for greater use of biodegradable fuels.

He managed to convince 36-year-old Ann Gogerty, an international student recruiter for ISU. "I do like Hillary," she said. "But his speech is what it took to make up my mind. This is a guy people are excited about."

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