Why does OBAMA retaliate against Hilary Clinton?

My thoughts exactly. He should ignore her accusations and take the high road. I think Obama should show that he has the capacity to stay focused on the issues and leave emotions and all that negative stuff out of the campaign. The Clinton camp is deliberately trying to bait him because they believe a lot of women in particular won't support Obama if it looks as if he's beating up on a woman, Hillary. On the other hand, she continues to agitate him and she can get away with it with some people. I liked Hillary more before Bill got so actively involved. Now, Hillary's people keep using that tired line about Bill Clinton being thought of as the first "black president" by the black community. The joke is being taken out of proportion and it now sounds arrogant and almost insulting. At this point, I fear that a lot of people are not even sure what each candidate stands for. All they remember are the squabbles.