Clinton presses for debate before New Hampshire primary

Aides to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders did not immediately respond to questions.

Implicit in the ads – which do not show or mention Sanders by name – is the Clinton campaign’s argument that their candidate is best prepared to sit in the Oval Office and tackle the full range of unpredictable challenges that reach the president’s desk.

And he characterized the ongoing battle for the Democratic nomination as positive for the President’s party.

The two leaders gave lighthearted responses Wednesday when asked by Capitol Hill reporters to discuss the campaigns.

The White House had kind words for Sanders’ contribution to Democrats enthusiasm, although not his leadership.

The second factor, he said, was bringing millions of people into the political process to demand that Washington “starts representing ordinary Americans, the middle class [and] working families – not just the billionaire class”.

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee’s campaign released a parody video based off singer Adele’s 2015 hit song “Hello” ahead of Iowa’s February 1 leadoff caucus.

White House officials say Obama’s comments were a as much a reflection of Obama’s high regard for Clinton, as any discomfort with Sanders.

“Iowans are not for sale”, the song says.

“I’m realizing she does have a lot more experience with foreign policy”, said McDaniel, whose mother, Maria, a longtime Clinton supporter, encouraged him to attend the event in their town. “This insane circus, it’s gone coo-coo-ca-choo, and Huckabee is the guy who’s long overdue”. “I love Bernie, but I don’t think his goals are realistic”. He won the Iowa caucus that year, but did not win his party’s nomination. Bernie Sanders, at campaign stops as recently as last week.

Earlier, Jennifer Palmieri, a Clinton spokeswoman, told the Union Leader that Clinton would be happy to participate “if the other candidates agree, which would allow the DNC to sanction the debate”.

If the Clinton campaign would commit to that schedule, Weaver said, Sanders would join Clinton in asking for the DNC to arrange a debate in New Hampshire next week.

But Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said late Wednesday that Sanders would be willing to participate in New Hampshire if the DNC added three more debates after the ones now scheduled.

All three of the major campaigns reacted positively, although only Martin O’Malley definitively said that he would participate.

Mindy Beerends, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Des Moines, says there could be rain and a little snow during the caucuses, set to begin at 7 p.m. Monday, but early projections show no accumulating snow until early Tuesday.

The backbiting among the two leading Republican candidates came as the leading Democratic contenders fought over whose record of fighting for economic fairness has been the most consistent, effective and tested. They could find their exit complicated by steadier snow Tuesday.

Earnest said Obama was certainly expecting to spend some time talking in the meeting about how they could work together to advance Democratic priorities and values.

“Now they want to move overseas for the sole objective, of escaping their fair share of taxes to support what made them be a company which was successful in the first place”, said Clinton.

But as president, Obama has not relied on Sanders for advice or legislative heft.