Obama Assails Lies About Health Care Reform

By: Michael H. Cottman

President Barack Obama traveled to New Hampshire Tuesday to pitch his controversial health care reform directly to Americans, while also countering conservative activists who have turned recent Democratic forums into shouting matches and fist fights.

"For all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary is if we do nothing," Obama told a crowd of about 1,800 in Portsmouth.

Obama Assails Lies About Health Care Reform....

HILLARY CLINTON NARROWLY WINS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

So much for the dream a lot of folks had of Barack Obama winning two in a row over Hillary Clinton.

The New York senator edged out Obama by 3 percentage points to win the New Hampshire Democratic primary, overcoming a third-place finish in Iowa and defying pre-voting polls that had given Obama a strong lead.


"Let's give America the kind of comeback New Hampshire has just given me," Clinton, told supporters Tuesday night.


Only moments before, Obama, the freshman senator from Illinois conceded to Clinton.


"I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard fought victory in New Hampshire," said Obama to supporters in Nashua, New Hampshire. "I am still fired up and ready to go."


At EUR press time, With most of the precincts' reports in, Clinton was ahead of Obama 39 percent to 36 percent, a lead she maintained throughout the night, according to a tally by the Associated Press. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards was in third place with 17 percent, and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was fourth at 5 percent.


When the news of Clinton's victory was announced by the TV networks, it was on an poppin' for her supporters reports, Bloomberg.


"When we walked in, it was like going to a wake. I think people are shocked, because everyone here was expecting a loss," said Bill Thompson of Bedford.


At an Obama campaign rally the crowd booed when the results were shown.


"I thought he was a shoo-in, honestly, I didn't expect for there to be this margin of difference," said Regina Knowlton, who voted for Obama in Wyndham. "It doesn't keep the momentum going for him."


Clinton led Obama among women who voted in the primary 47 percent to 34 percent, according to exit poll data cited by MSNBC. She and Obama split the votes of those who decided within the last three days which candidate to support.


There have been reports that no matter what the results were in New Hampshire, Clinton will make changes in her organization. That appears to have been confirmed by what Terry McAuliffe, her campaign manager, told the Fox News Channel.


"We're going to have a lot more top-level advisers coming in to help this campaign as we move to the next phase, which is really the February 5 contests."


On Feb 5th, almost two-dozen states will be holding primaries or caucuses, including California and New York, which are strongholds for Clinton.


Meanwhile, in the New Hampshire Republican primary, Arizona Senator John McCain won, defeating Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the winner in Iowa, came in third.

OBAMA LEADS CLINTON IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Barack Obama posted an impressive win in the Iowa caucuses last Thursday and in most polls, leads Hillary Rodham Clinton in tomorrow's presidential primary in New Hampshire.

The Illinois senator's Iowa victory resulted in part from an unexpectedly large turnout of caucus goers. He captured 38 percent of the delegates compared to 30 percent for former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and 29 percent for Clinton.

But it is too early to write off Clinton. She is in a dead heat with Obama in other polls. At a rally at a high school in Nashua, on Sunday the crowd matched the turnout for Obama at the same venue the day before in numbers, enthusiasm and youthfulness.

A poll for MSNBC put Obama on 33% in New Hampshire, Clinton on 31% and John Edwards on 17%. A Rasmussen poll the previous day gave Obama a commanding lead, on 37%, with Clinton on 27% and John Edwards 19%.

Polls also show Obama leading Clinton by 2 to 1 among independents, who make up an estimated 40% of the New Hampshire electorate and have the choice of voting in either the Democratic or Republican primaries.

The biggest test comes less than a month from now on February 5th when 23 states hold their primaries on "Super Tuesday." It is widely believed among political experts that the Democrat who wins the bulk of the February 5th votes will be the party's nominee for president.

Meanwhile, conservative Mike Huckabee garnered the greatest number of caucus votes on the Republican side in Iowa last week. Despite the win, most observers doubt he will capture the Republican presidential nomination because his often extreme conservative views may drive away more moderate voters. Currently, he is running fourth in New Hampshire.