Hillary Clinton Invokes The Issue Of Robert Kennedy Assassination in June

Hillary Clinton brought up the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy today, while defending her decision to stay in the race against Barack Obama.

Immediately after writing about reports from CNN, about the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Barack Obama campaign discussing ways for her to "gracefully exit" the race for the Democratic nomination for presidency. (CNN video of the reports of "formal talks" at that link), I see a New York Post article saying that Hillary Clinton pointed out that her husband didn't wrap up his nomination for presidency in June and that "We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California." She made these comments at a meeting with the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader's editorial board while campaigning in South Dakota. The context of her comment was to point out how she didn't understand why people would be calling for her to drop out of the race before June, but her comment about Kennedy's assassination drew an immediate response from the Obama campaign.

Obama's camp immediately fired back.

"Sen. Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," Obama campaign spokesman said in a statement.

After the Obama campaigns instant response, Clinton's spokesman, Howard Wolfson, defended her remarks by saying, "She was talking about the length of the race and using the '68 election as an example of how long the races in the past have gone -- she used her husband's race in the same vein." Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June of 1968 after winning the California primary. Robery Kennedy was also the younger brother to President John F. Kennedy, who was also assassinated. Obama supporters are already reacting to this comment in a very negative way. So much for those "formal talks". [Update] Hillary Clinton explains her remark: Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That’s a historic fact. The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I’m honored to hold Senator Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family.