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Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Hillary Clinton. (AP) Last update - 16:08 24/05/2008 Clinton 'regrets' Kennedy assassination reference in defending her candidacy By The Associated Press Tags: Barack Obama, U.S. Elections  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton quickly apologized Friday after citing the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as a reason for her to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination despite increasingly long odds. "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation - and in particular the Kennedy family - was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever," the former first lady said. The episode occurred as Clinton campaigned in advance of the June 3 South D Advertisement akota primary. Responding to a question from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader editorial board about calls for her to drop out of the race, she said: "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don't understand it," she said, dismissing the idea of abandoning the race. Clinton said she did not understand why, given this history, some Democrats were calling for her to quit. Her remark about an assassination during a primary campaign drew a quick response from aides to Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama. "Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said the senator was only referring to her husband and Kennedy as historical examples of the nominating process going well into the summer and any reading into it beyond that would be inaccurate and outrageous. Even so, Clinton decided within a couple of hours to make a personal apology. "I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns of both my husband and Senator (Robert) Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That's a historic fact," she said. "The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy," she added, referring to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's recent diagnosis of a brain tumor. "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever." "My view is that we have to look to the past to our leaders who have inspired us, give us a lot to live up to, and I'm honored to hold Senator Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the Kennedy family," she said. In the same editorial board meeting, Clinton said her campaign has had no discussions with Obama's aides about her possibly becoming his vice presidential pick. "It is flatly untrue and it is not anything I'm entertaining. It is nothing I have planned and it is nothing I am prepared to engage in. I am still vigorously campaigning." The Obama campaign also dismissed reports that there were talks going on between the two campaigns about putting Clinton on the ticket. Obama has an almost 200-delegate lead over Clinton and is just 56 delegates short of the number needed to clinch the nomination, making Clinton's goal of catching him more difficult by the day. The primaries end June 3. Clinton spent the day campaigning in South Dakota, which holds one of two June 3 primaries. At stake are 15 delegates. Recent reports suggested she may be discussing ways to end her campaign by being offered the vice presidential slot underneath Obama, but she rejected that and said she suspected the talk was coming from Obama aides. "I would look to the camp of my opponent for the source of these stories," she said. "People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa." Two of those recent reports, however, were attributed by CNN and The New York Times to supporters of Clinton. Related articles: Obama tries to inch closer to Israel Obama: Bush and Clinton are the same on Iran Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Shampoo' meets 'Munich' New Adam Sandler film stars Mossad hit man turned hairdresser. Rehab (live) Report: Singer Amy Winehouse is to undergo drug rehab in Israel.   1.   Absolutely unbelievable, but still millions of U.S. Democrats.... 01:20  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/05/08   2.   Hillary Assination remark 01:48  |  Mary Connor 24/05/08   3.   Little Freudian slip, Hill? 01:57  |  Aphemia 24/05/08   4.   BIG AMBITION, SMALL MIND 02:37  |  indrajaya 24/05/08   5.   hillary, get out the way! 03:24  |  bashar 24/05/08   6.   SHAME ON YOU HILLARY! 04:46  |  PAULDARBY 24/05/08   7.   Clinton Kennedy Reference 04:57  |  Dionne 24/05/08   8.   THIS WOMAN IS BAD, MAN 05:09  |  indrajaya 24/05/08   9.   HRC - What a Horrible Lady! 06:06  |  TLG 24/05/08   10.   # 4, DIONNE 06:09  |  indrajaya 24/05/08   11.   @bashar: McCain is like Bush? Huahaha! 06:22  |  Anat 24/05/08   12.   Reply to no.4, Indrajaya 06:53  |  Sam C 24/05/08   13.   Hillary Caught in another lie 07:46  |  Jim 24/05/08   14.   Clinton is probably 07:53  |  rm 24/05/08   15.   SHE IS A GREAT LADY! AND WILL BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT! 08:06  |  Susan_Avnery 24/05/08   16.   If Obama is smart, he will avoid her like the plague 10:18  |  Natallie Durson 24/05/08   17.   Susan_Avnery 12:21  |  Alisa 24/05/08   18.   Natallie Durson 16:28  |  Oleg 24/05/08   19.   Her last hope is too have Obama killed by somebody... 16:33  |  Rafa 24/05/08   20.   Hillary 17:16  |  Kevin 24/05/08   21.   Hillary 17:16  |  Kevin 24/05/08   22.   Hillary 17:25  |  Kevin 24/05/08   23.   She has already lost...sore loser...have some self respect 18:20  |  Hispanic Voter 24/05/08   24.   A `Freudian slip`? 18:33  |  Michael N 24/05/08   25.   Not really Natallie Durson 18:41  |  Michael N 24/05/08   26.   Why don`t you look to thing in a different angel? 18:46  |  Simon Mohammed 24/05/08   27.   Hillary: I will win at all costs 19:44  |  bob 24/05/08   28.   Apologize to Obama 19:45  |  b2 24/05/08   29.   A real mess; but not a fredian slip 20:34  |  TOMKATT 24/05/08   30.   Elephant in The Room 20:43  |  D. Torres 24/05/08   31.   Stick A Fork in her, SHES DONE! 22:02  |  Rich 24/05/08   32.   HILLARY CLINTON WILL BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT 22:41  |  Susan_Avnery 24/05/08   33.   HILLARY CLINTON IS THE BEST. SHE IS RIGHT 22:47  |  Susan_Avnery 24/05/08   34.   The assassination of Obama, is, after all 00:07  |  Mark Lincoln 25/05/08   35.   #15 look up Lady in dictionary 00:38  |  Sarah 25/05/08   36.   Hillary`s Kennedy Remark/this must be a joke 00:59  |  savtaro 25/05/08   37.   Subtler than Huckabee 01:43  |  hala 25/05/08   38.   clinton`s mind 16:02  |  jj 25/05/08   39.   Hillary`s fixiation on death 06:17  |  MDW 26/05/08   40.   Why Hillary is still in the race 06:20  |  MDW 26/05/08   41.   Hilliary`s nominees for cabinet positions 06:25  |  MDW 26/05/08

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