Richardson said Obama can't beat McCain?

Conflicting accounts of a meeting between Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton surface.

Published April 3, 2008 12:38PM (EDT)

Wednesday night, ABC News reported that Hillary and Bill Clinton have been telling Democratic superdelegates that Barack Obama cannot beat John McCain in November. ABC described one conversation specifically:

Sources with direct knowledge of the conversation between Sen. Clinton and Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., prior to the Governor's endorsement of Obama say she told him flatly, "He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win."

Richardson, who served in President Clinton's Cabinet, disagreed.

But as of Thursday morning, his account is already being challenged. Time's Mark Halperin reports on the account of one unnamed "Clinton associate" who says it was Richardson, not Clinton, who suggested that Obama could not win in the general election. Halperin quotes this Clinton associate as saying, "Bill Richardson is clearly embarrassed that he broke his promise to them. He should come out and tell the truth and admit that he told both Clintons that Obama wasn't ready and can't win."


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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2008 Elections Bill Richardson Hillary Rodham Clinton War Room