Edwards jabs Clinton with ‘Ask John’ events

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/edwards-jabs-clinton-with-ask-john-events-2007-12-28.html

Edwards jabs Clinton with ‘Ask John’ events
By Sam Youngman | Posted: 12/28/07 12:37 PM
December 28, 2007

DES MOINES – Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) announced a new program designed to allow Iowans a chance to ask Edwards questions amid reports that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) hasn’t been taking audience questions during her statewide tour.


The Edwards campaign on Thursday announced its “Ask John” program, which is intended to give caucus-goers a chance to ask Edwards any questions they might have in the lead-up to caucus night.

The announcement comes days after a Dec. 22 report in The Los Angeles Times that Clinton, who normally sets aside time at the end of her events to answer audience questions, has not been doing so. Iowa and New Hampshire voters are well-known for getting involved in the process and asking tough questions of the candidates.

The Edwards campaign on Friday said the “Ask John” program was in the works for some time and its timing had nothing to do with the reports about Clinton.

The Clinton campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Clinton has not participated in retail politics at all in the campaign. There are rarely questions at her events and at events that had questions she has called a person that asked a tough question a plant and then her staff even planted questions.

http://commoniowan.blogspot.com/2007/10/clinton-asked-tough-question-in-iowa.html

Most of the candidates (Edwards, Richardson, Dodd) will speak for 10 min or so and then have an hour or longer of q and a.

Edwards campaign on Friday said the “Ask John” program was in the works for some time and its timing had nothing to do with the reports about Clinton.

Why do I believe them? The false reports about Clinton not answering questions at events (it happened once, not multiple times) did not occur early enough for the Edwards campaign to come up with the idea and create the online system...

:thumbsdown:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/12/clintons-dont-a.html

Clinton's "don't ask" policy

As she races through Iowa in the days before next week's caucuses, Hillary Clinton is taking few chances. She tells crowds that it’s their turn to “pick a president,’’ but over the last two days she has not invited them to ask her any questions.

Before the brief Christmas break, the New York senator had been setting aside time after campaign speeches to hear from the audience. Now when she’s done speaking, her theme songs blare from loudspeakers, preventing any kind of public Q&A.

She was no more inviting when a television reporter approached her after a rally on Thursday and asked if she was “moved’’ by Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Clinton turned away without answering.

Her daughter, Chelsea, had the same reaction when a reporter approached her with a question.

Hillary Clinton’s no-question policy didn’t sit well with some of the Iowans who came to see her speak.

“I was a little bit underwhelmed,’’ said Doug Rohde, 46, as he left her a rally in a fire station in Denison. “The message was very generic -- and no questions.’’

that the LA Times article was wrong. Because I can't find it, I will stand corrected on that -- maybe it has occurred at least two events.

My main point is that the Edwards' campaign still would not have had time to create the new program and create the website and so forth.

right about Edwards, but it is getting bloody out there. They probably all can't wait for this to be over. I know I can't.

Edwards has been taking questions after his events since he announced his campaign a year ago. When time runs out, he always says to give the question to one of his staffers at the event or send it to him via his website. This is nothing new for Edwards.

I think it is a wonderful thing for him to do.

I assume Clinton will start taking questions, planted or not, after all remaining events.