Clinton-Obama fight out in open

What followed was a remarkably caustic exchange between the Clinton and Obama campaigns that highlighted the sensitivity in the Clinton camp to Obama’s rapid rise as a rival and his positioning as a fresh face unburdened by the baggage borne by Clinton, the junior senator from New York. The Clinton camp seemed also to be sending a warning to mud-slinging critics that they would be dealt with fiercely.

It began with a column in The New York Times by Maureen Dowd, in which Geffen said the Clintons lie “with such ease, it’s troubling” and that the Clinton political operation “is going to be very unpleasant and unattractive and effective.” Geffen called Bill Clinton a “reckless guy” who had not changed in the last six years, and suggested that Hillary Clinton was too scripted.

In a statement, the Clinton campaign called on Obama to sever his ties to Geffen and return the portion of the $1.3 million that Geffen helped raise on Tuesday at a reception in Beverly Hills.

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, responded with a statement, saying it was “ironic that the Clintons had no problem with Geffen” when he was “raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln Bedroom.”

The punch and counterpunch went on all day, overshadowing a gathering of all the Democratic candidates except Obama, the junior Illinois senator, at a union-sponsored forum in Nevada at which Clinton faced criticism about her Iraq stance. Clinton, asked if Obama should denounce the Geffen remarks, declined to join in the hand-to-hand combat, but expressed disapproval with the remarks while also defending her husband.

As he arrived in Iowa late Wednesday afternoon, Obama was met with questions about the clash. “It’s not clear to me why I would be apologising for someone else’s remarks,” Obama said. “My sense is Geffen may have differences with the Clintons, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with our campaign.”