In Iowa, Clinton doubts Obama's political courage

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton questioned rival Barack Obama's political courage on Monday, accusing him of dodging difficult fights and ducking the Senate's recent vote on a resolution to get tough on Iran.

Ratcheting up her attacks one day after a newspaper poll showed Obama moving narrowly ahead in the state, Clinton said Obama voted "present" in the Illinois state senate on seven abortion-related issues and twice on issues of gun violence, rather than take a stand.

"A president can't dodge the big fights, can't find political cover, or have words speak louder than actions," she said at a campaign stop in Clear Lake, Iowa.

"I've heard a lot of talk about turning the page," she said, using one of Obama's slogans, "but what about the action to back it up?"

Clinton also ridiculed his criticism of her Senate vote to label an Iranian military unit a terrorist group, which Obama has called a way to clear the path for a rush to war on Iran. Clinton, a New York senator, noted Obama did not return from the campaign trail to cast a vote on the resolution.

"He decided to play politics and claim that the vote he missed, a vote for diplomacy, was really a vote for war," she said. "Well if he really thought it was a rush to war, why did he rush to campaign and miss the vote?"

In response, the Obama camp touted his successful record of leadership in the Illinois legislature and as a U.S. senator from Illinois and fired back at Clinton.

"The truth is Barack Obama doesn't need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq, gave him the benefit of the doubt on Iran, supported NAFTA and opposed ethanol until she decided to run for president," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.