Clinton Cites Obama's Kindergarten "Essay" To Prove Deceitfulness

December 3, 2007 4:23 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The bid for the Democratic presidential nod is officially heating up just one month before the Iowa caucus, and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is heralding in the primary season by stepping up her attacks on her main rival, Sen. Barak Obama (D-IL).

In early November, Clinton denounced her Democratic opponents for criticizing her vote on Iraq, accusing them of slinging mud "right out of the Republican playbook." At that time, Mrs. Clinton claimed she was "not interested in attacking" her opponents.

Now, as the race becomes increasingly contentious, she seems to be shifting her strategy.

In late November, Clinton began questioning Obama's lack of experience, criticizing his health care plan and bashing his lobbyist-funded political action committee.

On Sunday, the Clinton campaign issued a press release suggesting that Obama was being deceitful when he told voters in Boston that he has "not been planning to run for president for however number of years," citing news reports that Obama wrote "essays" in kindergarten and third grade, titled "I want to be a president."

"I'm sure tomorrow they'll attack him for being a flip-flopper, because he told his second grade teacher he wanted to be an astronaut," Obama's press secretary, Bill Burton, said Monday, in response.

Also on Monday, the Obama campaign launched a new Web site, Hillary Attacks, to document, and respond to, Clinton's criticisms.

An Associated Press poll, released Sunday, shows Obama and Clinton neck-in-neck in Iowa, with John Edwards coming in a close third.