Axelrod on Bhutto Assassination, and Clinton Team Response

From TIME's Jay Newton-Small:

David Axelrod, Barack Obama's top strategist, told reporters after the speech that Clinton will not benefit from a renewed conversation about foreign policy in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination in Pakistan.

Bhutto's death will “call into issue the judgment: who's made the right judgments,” Axelrod said. “Obviously, one of the reasons that Pakistan is in the distress that it's in is because al-Qaeda is resurgent, has become more powerful within that country and that's a consequence of us taking the eye off the ball and making the wrong judgment in going into Iraq. That's a serious difference between these candidates and I'm sure that people will take that into consideration.”

Foreign policy had been considered by many to be Clinton's strength and a subject that had been waning ahead of the caucuses as candidates focused their closing arguments on domestic issues. Axelrod argued a focus on Pakistan does not help Clinton, who voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq.

“She was a strong supporter of the war in Iraq, which we would submit, was one of the reasons why we were diverted from Afghanistan, Pakistan and al-Qaeda, who may have been players in this event today, so that's a judgment she'll have to defend,” Axelrod said. “I know Woody Allen said that 80% of life is just showing up but there's actually more to being proficient in foreign policy than just having been around for a long time. You also have to have good judgment. Obama was willing to split with the conventional wisdom on Iraq and many of these other issues and I think events have borne out his judgment.”

Response from Clinton Spokesman Phil Singer: