Obama, Clinton Stay Civil in Key Face-Off

HOLLYWOOD — At the home of the Academy Awards and before a gallery of stars, the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates staked their claim to political history Thursday night.

But in a town built on blockbuster action, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama reworked the vitriolic script of recent debates.

Instead, in a spirited but civil exchange, they appealed to California Democrats and independents overwhelmingly fed up with the war in Iraq over who is best equipped to bring home U.S. troops.

They differed over driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants but called for a humane approach to the nation’s 12 million to 14 million illegal residents, of which the highest number live in California.

The two candidates sparred over who could best cover Americans — and stand up to the health insurance lobby. Obama saluted the efforts of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California Legislature, and said the state’s recent failure to pass a health insurance plan underscored the challenges awaiting the next president.

As entertainment industry figures including producer Steven Spielberg, actor-director Rob Reiner and singer Stevie Wonder packed the auditorium and balconies of the Kodak Theatre, Obama also suggested that Hollywood could stand to clean up its act.

He said he didn’t want his two young daughters seeing commercial promos for "violent, slasher, horror films" while "watching ‘American Idol.’ "

The two candidates tried to seize the moment in a contest that now guarantees history. Either Clinton will be the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party or Obama, the son of a white mother from Kansas and black father from Kenya, will be the first African American nominee.

"We’re going to have change," Clinton said. "I think having the first woman president would be a huge change for America and the world."

Tuesday is almost certain to have a major impact on the Democratic race. Democratic contests in 22 states will decide 1,670 delegates — 370 in California — toward the 2,025 needed to win the party’s nomination.

So Thursday, Obama argued that he is leading a new generation of political thinking.

"I don’t think the choice is between black and white or it’s about gender or religion," he said. "I don’t think it’s about young or old. I think what is at stake now is whether we are looking backwards or looking forward. I think it is the past vs. the future."

Faced with that argument and a debate question asking why voters would want two families — the Bushes and the Clintons — to hold dominion over the White House, Clinton sought to credit her husband and establish her own credentials.

"I want to be judged on my own merits," she began.

But she had no problem defending her quest to replace President Bush, which she likened to Bill Clinton’s successful bid to succeed Bush’s father.

"You know it did take a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and I think it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush," she said as the Hollywood audience roared with applause.

Clinton seemed to make her most passionate comments in her criticism of conservative Republicans over immigration policy. She attacked a former House bill that would have made illegal immigration a felony and also punished individuals or organizations that provided services to illegal residents.

"When the House of Representatives passed the most mean-spirited provision that said, if you were to give any help whatsoever to someone here illegally, you would commit a crime, I stood up and said that would have criminalized the good Samaritan and Jesus Christ himself," Clinton said. "I’ve been on record against this kind of demagoguery, this mean-spiritedness."

But Clinton, who previously waffled on the issue when defending a policy advanced by New York Gov. Elliott Spitzer, differed with Obama’s support for driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.

Obama said, "People don’t come here to drive. They come here to work."

He argued that granting licenses to illegal residents is a matter of public safety. But he said the license issue would cease to exist under a comprehensive immigration plan that included a path to citizenship. Clinton favors the same plan.

The two parted on whether illegal immigrants are taking jobs, depressing wage and worsening the plight of many urban minorities.

"I think to suggest that somehow the problem that we’re seeing in inner-city unemployment … is attributable to immigrants … is a case of scapegoating that I don’t believe in," Obama argued. He said urban residents are suffering instead "because we have an economy out of balance" and "we’ve had tax cuts that went up instead of down."

But Clinton told of meeting with an African American construction worker who complained that he is getting far fewer jobs because contractors are hiring illegal workers.

Both candidates sought to connect with voters on Iraq. In a California Field Poll in December, 91 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of independents — who can vote in the Democratic primary — said they didn’t approve of the Bush administration’s handling of the war.

A day after GOP front-runner John McCain accused Clinton of being the candidate of surrender, she said: "That is a debate I welcome because I think the Democrats have a much greater grasp of the reality of the situation that we are confronting."

Clinton said she would begin pulling out troops within 60 days but said she wouldn’t promise to meet a goal Obama had set of withdrawing U.S. forces in 18 months. Obama said he wants to leave a "strike team" to fight al-Qaida and other terrorist installations but otherwise end U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Clinton again defended her vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq, saying President Bush had "abused" his authority in initiating a "pre-emptive war."

"I don’t want to just end the war," Obama declared. "I want to end the mind-set that got us into war in the first place."

Debate moderator Wolf Blitzer of CNN then turned to Clinton. "Sen. Clinton. That’s clearly a swipe at you," he said.

"Really," she responded. "We’re having such a good time."

"I wouldn’t call it a swipe," Obama said.

It was a big difference from their last debate, in Myrtle Beach, S.C., when the two clashed heatedly over Clinton’s criticism of Obama’s "present" votes as an Illinois lawmaker and suggestion that President Reagan led a "party of ideas."

This time, it was all smiles as the candidates brushed off a question over whether either would name the other as their vice-presidential running mate.

"I’m sure Hillary would be on anyone’s short list," Obama answered.