Thursday, July 19, 2007

Bill Clinton Defends Wife Against Elizabeth Edwards Criticism

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former President Clinton spoke out on behalf of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, after Elizabeth Edwards criticized the Democratic front-runner for not being a strong advocate for women.

"If you look at the record on women's issues, I defy you to find anybody who has run for office in recent history whose got a longer history of working for women, for families and children, than Hillary does," Bill Clinton said Thursday in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

On Tuesday, in an interview published in the online magazine Salon, Elizabeth Edwards said that her husband John Edwards would be a more consistent champion for women if elected president. "Keeping that door open to women is actually more a policy of John's than Hillary's," she said, suggesting the New York senator may be avoiding women's issues to "behave as a man."

President Clinton disputed that contention.

"I don't think she's trying to be a man. I don't think it's inconsistent with being a woman that you can also be knowledgeable on military and security affairs and be strong when the occasion demands it.

"I don't consider that being manly. I consider that being a leader," he said.

The former president was in South Africa as part of a
multi-nation tour on behalf of his foundation.

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