ALKER - HERE'S THE 'OFF THE RECORD' THING - The Scotsman, based in Edinburgh, has a frustrated Samantha Power referring to Senator Clinton as a 'monster ... that is off the record' - 'Inside US poll battle as fight turns dirty for Democrats':
'HILLARY Clinton has been branded a 'monster' by one of Barack Obama's top advisers, as the gloves come off in the race to win the Democrat nomination. In recent TV appearances Mrs. Clinton had looked desperate and on the back foot. In an unguarded moment during an interview with The Scotsman, Samantha Power, his key foreign policy aide, let slip the camp's true feelings about the former first lady.
'Her comments came as Mr Obama, whose defeats in Texas and Ohio on Tuesday were largely put down to a series of negative attacks on him, vowed to turn up the heat on Mrs. Clinton over her claims to be the more experienced candidate. The fragile truce was blown apart as the pressure for the nomination intensified, with Mrs. Clinton winning in Texas and Ohio.
'Ms. Power told The Scotsman Mrs. Clinton was stopping at nothing to try to seize the lead from Mr. Obama. 'We f***** up in Ohio,' she admitted. 'In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win.
' 'She is a monster, too - that is off the record - she is stooping to anything,' Ms. Power said, hastily trying to withdraw her remark. 'Interestingly, the people in her innermost circle seem to not mind her; I think they really love her.' But she added: 'There is this middle circle - they are really on the warpath. But the truth is she has proved herself really willing to stoop.' '
Love 'on the back foot.'