Hillary's Iraq stand seen aiding Obama

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Illinois Sen. Barack Obama can threaten New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's early lead for the Democratic presidential nomination by challenging her vote for the Iraq war, opposition to a speedy troop withdrawal and support for free trade, party strategists said over the weekend.

Mrs. Clinton remained the clear front-runner in her party for 2008 in national polls late last week in a field of nearly a dozen Democratic hopefuls. But some campaign advisers and party officials in pivotal caucus and primary states say she is vulnerable on the war and for taking establishment positions on issues her party's liberal base opposes.

Mrs. Clinton, in what critics say is an effort to tone down her liberal image, has allied herself with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, embracing its more hawkish defense posture on the war and free-trade issues that are considered poison to the party's populist left wing, which blames the global economy and unfettered trade for America's declining manufacturing-job base.

"Barack Obama is a threat to Hillary, but only if he makes a contrasting case against her," said Democratic adviser David Sirota, a top strategist in Ned Lamont's come-from-behind Democratic primary upset over Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who went on to win the general election as an independent.

"If it's a popularity contest between two well-known Democratic politicians, then he isn't much of a threat. But if he starts campaigning on the issues of the Iraq war, on economic issues in contrast to Hillary, who voted for the war resolution, opposed calls for early troop withdrawals and supports free-trade issues that have destroyed jobs here, then he's a real, major threat," Mr. Sirota said.

These Democrats say he has the political talent and grass-roots appeal to overtake Mrs. Clinton in a party that is hungry for new leadership.

And now for the first time a few of them are saying she is vulnerable on issues that Mr. Obama has campaigned and voted against -- especially her identification as an insider in the Washington establishment.

"She has deliberately not used her microphone to challenge the establishment, period. She is an establishment figure. She has chosen to be that," Mr. Sirota said.

Similar criticism of Mrs. Clinton is beginning to emerge publicly and privately among Democrats in key primary and caucus states, where Mr. Obama has electrified Democratic audiences during the midterm campaign with his oratory and an optimistic message that has won rave reviews from rank-and-file party members.

"I think it's a strong likelihood Obama could become a front-runner," said Sandy Opstvedt of Story City, Iowa, a member of the Democratic National Committee who supported Howard Dean in the 2004 presidential election cycle but is uncommitted at this point.