Clinton says negatives won't keep her from winning

DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug 19 (Reuters) Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton acknowledged today that many voters do not like her, but she blamed it on years of Republican attacks and insisted she has a record of winning despite her negatives.

Clinton's remarks came as the eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination debated in the critical early voting state of Iowa and just days after President George W Bush's political adviser Karl Rove said the former first lady was flawed for having high negative ratings.

Clinton and top rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, came under fire early in the debate at Drake University when other candidates were invited to comment on their perceived weaknesses -- Clinton's high negative ratings in the polls and Obama's inexperience in foreign policy.

''I don't think Karl Rove's going to endorse me,'' Clinton told the audience at the debate, which was aired by ABC News' ''This Week'' program. ''But I find it interesting he's so obsessed with me. And I think the reason is because we know how to win.'' She tackled the issue of her high negative ratings head-on, saying, ''The idea that you're going to escape the Republican attack machine and not have high negatives by the time they're through with you, I think, is just missing what's been going on in American politics for the last 20 years.'' Polls have shown Clinton holding double-digit leads over Obama in their effort to be the Democratic candidate in the November 2008 election.

But a recent CBS News poll showed 39 per cent of all voters nationwide had an unfavorable view of Clinton, while only 20 per cent viewed Obama negatively. Other polls have had Clinton's negative rating even higher.

Obama, who had a narrow lead in ABC News' Iowa poll, was criticized for his recent comments on foreign policy, including saying he would meet with U.S. rivals without preconditions and suggesting he might authorize attacks inside Pakistan without that country's permission.

''The only person that separates us from a jihadist government in Pakistan with nuclear weapons is President (Pervez) Musharraf,'' said Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut. ''I thought it was irresponsible to engage in that kind of a suggestion here.'' Clinton said she thought Obama was wrong in saying he was willing to meet without preconditions in his first year in office with U.S.

adversaries such as Iran.

Obama dismissed much of the criticism as political maneuvering and quipped ''to prepare for this debate, I rode in the bumper cars at the state fair.'' But he tried to paint Clinton's criticism as outdated thinking.

''I do think that there's a substantive difference between myself and Senator Clinton when it comes to meeting with our adversaries,'' he added. ''I think that strong countries and strong presidents meet and talk with our adversaries. We shouldn't be afraid to do so.

We've tried the other way. It didn't work.'' Asked about the recent turbulence in the financial markets as a result of the crisis over subprime mortgage lending, most candidates applauded the Federal Reserve for lowering interest rates for banks but called for steps to protect those facing the loss of their homes.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson called the crisis the ''Katrina of the mortgage-lending industry,'' comparing it to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans. He, Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden and others called for greater transparency and regulation of hedge funds, which are playing a role in the crisis.

The candidates clashed over ending the Iraq war, Richardson arguing all US forces should be removed and others cautioning that withdrawal from Iraq would be messy, difficult and time-consuming.

''We have different positions here,'' Richardson said. ''I believe that if you leave any residual forces, then none of the peace that we are trying to bring can happen.'' Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said withdrawing US troops would be difficult to do quickly, but ''I think we can responsibly and in a very orderly way bring our troops out over the next nine or 10 months.'' REUTERS SBC PM2350