Hillary Clinton Barack Obama Feud Heats Up Over Nukes

It was a nuclear war of a different kind - or like President Bush calls it: nuke-u-ler war.  Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were at it again, this time feuding over the topic of nukes.

Senator Obama has ruled out the use of nuclear weapons to go after Al Qaeda or Taliban targets in Afghanistan or Pakistan, prompting Senator Clinton to say presidents never take the nuclear option off the table.

"We could see an adverse change in Barack Obama's odds," commented Gambling911.com Political Analyst and Presidential Betting Odds monitor, Carrie Stroup.  "It is these types of controversies that lead to shifts in public opinion and ultimately instability with the odds."

Stroup believes it may be too early for any major shifts in the odds.  The idea of Obama "not considering nukes" probably won't do much to harm his support either.

"This alone may not do it but the feud in general has Hillary winning, painting Barack Obama as the 'inexperienced one' overall," says Stroup.  "That is where public opinion comes into play."

Senator Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, told a reporter after a Capitol Hill event that he would not use nuclear weapons in those countries, an aide said.

"His position could not be more clear," said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

"He would not consider using nuclear weapons to fight terror targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

That position came a day after Senator Obama vowed he would be willing to strike Al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan with or without the approval of the Government of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

New York senator and former first lady Senator Clinton quickly pounced on Senator Obama's remark about nuclear weapons at a Capitol Hill news conference.

"I think presidents should be very careful at all times in discussing the use, or non-use, of nuclear weapons," she said.

"Presidents since the Cold War have used nuclear deterrence to keep the peace. And I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or non-use of nuclear weapons."

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com

Originally published August 3, 2007 2:09 pm ET