Spin Cycle

For those trying to sort out why Sen. Clinton was "honored" to be on stage with Obama last Thursday, but was scolding him with a "shame on Barack Obama" attack at a Saturday rally over a couple of fliers that had been circulating for a couple of weeks ... today we have some clues.

First: In an interview with David Brody of Christian Broadcasting, she says she had never seen one of the fliers before the rally, and had been under the impression that the other one had been pulled by Obama after previous controversy -- although it's not clear where she got that impression:

"I was frankly offended yesterday morning when I was in Cincinnati and a woman in the crowd handed me these two mailers that she had received in the mail. One of them I had never seen before. The other I had and it was the same false, misleading discredited attacks on my health care plan that had been sent out in previous states. I believed maybe from reading in the press or for some other reasons they had changed what they were sending."

(She also previews a cute new attack line: "When you send out these mailers which are kind of below the radar screen and they're filled with misleading and false and discredited information, it seems like the politics of hope is hoping no one will notice, that people will not call you on it. I don't think that's the kind of campaign we should be running." You can watch it here.)

Second: Today, at an appearance in Ohio, Clinton moves from anger and sarcasm back to a more controlled mode. There's no sign her weekend performance produced an uptick in the polls, and she seems to say she lost her temper:

"You see, I believe in quality affordable healthcare for everyone, and some of you may have seen. I got a little, uh, a little hot over the weekend down in Cincinnati. Because I don't mind having a debate. I don't mind airing our differences, but I really mind it when Sen. Obama's campaign sends you literature in the mail that is false, misleading and has been discredited."

Does that mean she'll be controlled or unleashed at the debate tonight? Likely, a little of both. Angry attacks don't come off well -- especially when your opponent can point to a misleading flier of yours to match every one of his you complain about. But, on the other hand, she can't just sit and smile sweetly if she wants to win.