Interview with Obama: Still Confident

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There are a lot of Democrats who say that they, before this gets any nastier, they'd like to see the senior lions of the party come in. People like Al Gore. Is that something that you would accept or welcome at all?
I am happy, I mean, I've had conversations with many of those people. I'd be happy to talk to them. My sense is that is that the Clintons, that they have decided that they want to continue. Senator Clinton was very firm on it and I don't begrudge her that at all. And I'm happy to coninue on, participating and letting the voters decide. I've said throughout this campaign, this is about who has won [more] primaries, caucuses, popular votes, delegates, I think that's a perfectly good way to resolve things.

Do you think it is selfish for her to continue?
I think that's a good question for you to ask her, not me.

When was the last time you spoke with Vice-President Gore.
A couple weeks ago.

Are you in touch with him? Is he an advisor?
I don't want to put him in a spot where he's choosing sides. I'm sure he has cordial relations with everyone. But I talk to him often, mostly about policy issues rather than politics.

In going ahead, do you think the fight, a continued fight, is going to be bruising to the party? Especially if it's going to get as nasty as you say.
I didn't say it was going to get nasty. I want to be very clear on this, Jay. What I've said is, if Senator Clinton thinks that the criteria for who should be the nominee has to do with personal qualities and personal attributes, then I think it will be important for Democrats to not just question mine, but question hers as well and examine hers as well. But I have no intention of getting nasty. I just want to make sure that we're not operating on a double standard or somehow, she gets a pass on experience, she gets a pass on ethics, she can sort of assert whatever record she wants. [The Clinton campaign may well be] holding a press conference in May going after me in a very personal way.

So you're not saying — let me ask — so you're not going to go after her in a personal way in return?
I gave you, I think, a very good example. If, as she's done over the last week...

And as you said she is doing this...
If she continues, as over the last week, to bring up real estate transactions and the character of our supporters, who have provided donations to our campaign, then we will make certain that she has to answer those same questions with respect to herself, her husband, and her campaign.

Can she still win?
I feel confident that we will.