Barack Obama brushes off plagiarism claims in latest debate
Friday, 22 Feb 2008 08:19
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton square up yet again
Barack Obama's alleged plagiarism proved a hot topic in last night's debate between himself and rival Hillary Clinton.
Analysts judged the debate between the two United States presidency candidates as a win for Mr Obama, because Ms Clinton failed to provoke any major slip-ups from the Illinois senator.
Ms Clinton has not won a primary or caucus since her victories on Super Tuesday and now trails in the overall delegate count, making the March 4th votes in Ohio and Texas crucial for her campaign.
In last night's debate at the University of Austin in Texas Ms Clinton, senator for New York and former first lady, went on the attack over claims Mr Obama plagiarised sections of his speech from rhetoric by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick.
"If your candidacy is going to be about words then they should be your own words," she said.
"Lifting whole passages from someone else you can believe in, it's change you can Xerox," she said to cheers and boos.
He dismissed the concerns as "silly season" politics which "people start getting discouraged about".
Mr Obama appeared to get away with his rhetoric's alleged similarities with Mr Patrick's when he said in an aside about his speeches: "I've got to admit, some of them are pretty good."
Ms Clinton was on firmer ground when she discussed a visit to a rehab centre for US veterans in San Antonio.
"All of the challenges I've had, they are nothing I've seen in the lives of Americans every day," she said to applause.
"I've been blessed. I was called by my faith and upbringing to do what I could to give others the same opportunities and blessings that I took for granted. That's what gets me up in the morning. That's what motivates me for this campaign."