Clinton returns to attack on Obama's pastor

Hillary Clinton tried to deflect embarrassment over her exaggerated account of a trip to Bosnia by saying she would have left the church her rival attends because of critical remarks by his pastor.

Mrs Clinton’s comments marked a clear shift in her handling of the Barack Obama church controversy, which she had generally avoided.

Some Democrats see Mr Obama’s refusal to dissociate himself from the Chicago church and its recently retired minister, the Rev Jeremiah Wright, as his biggest campaign challenge so far.

Over the years, Mr Wright has preached fiery sermons to his predominantly black congregation in which he shouted “God damn America” for its treatment of minorities.

He also suggested that US policies in the Middle East and elsewhere were partly responsible for the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

Videos of the remarks have circulated widely on the internet and cable television news programmes.

Mr Obama refused to split with Mr Wright in a well-received speech last week on America’s racial troubles, and the controversy appeared to be overshadowed this week by criticism of Mrs Clinton.

She said she and her daughter Chelsea landed in Tuzla, Bosnia, under sniper fire during a trip in March 1996.

But contemporary news accounts and television video of the arrival showed there was no evident danger to the then-first lady as she landed at the airfield.

Mrs Clinton told reporters in Pennsylvania that she erred in describing the scene, which she realised after talking with aides and others.

“So I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I’m human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation,” Mrs Clinton said, flashing a grin.

But she also used the session to join the fray over Mr Wright’s sermons, apparently hoping to revive the row over his remarks.

Mrs Clinton said: “I think that, given all we have heard and seen, he would not have been my pastor.”

She was responding to a question about whether she felt Mr Obama should have left the Chicago church. She declined to say what he should have done.

In his speech last week, Mr Obama condemned Mr Wright’s remarks and the preacher’s refusal to acknowledge progress in race relations.

But the Illinois senator refused to dissociate himself from his long-time spiritual mentor, saying he could no more “disown” Mr Wright than he could his white grandmother, who confessed her fear of black men.

Mrs Clinton was ready for the Obama question at her news conference, and read much of her response from notes, unlike her handling of other questions.

“We don’t have a choice when it comes to our relatives,” she said. “We have a choice when it comes to our pastors and the churches we attend. Everyone will have to decide these matters for themselves. They are obviously very personal matters.”

If Mr Wright were her pastor, she said, “the choice would be clear”.

Mr Obama, who has been holidaying with his family in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, returns to the campaign trail today in North Carolina, which holds its primary on May 6.

Both he and Mrs Clinton are competing for votes in Pennsylvania, which holds the next primary contest on April 22.

In the historic Democratic nomination battle that could put the first woman or first African-American in the White House, Mr Obama leads in pledged delegates, has won more state primaries and leads in the overall popular vote with 10 contests remaining.

His spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: “It’s disappointing to see Hillary Clinton’s campaign sink to this low in a transparent effort to distract attention.”

While the Democrats squabbled, the Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain was outlining his foreign policy positions in a speech today.

The Arizona senator, mindful of a need to lay out his own vision for the future and distance himself from the unpopular incumbent Republican president, is talking about a more collaborative approach.