By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidentialcandidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama clashed on Saturdayover his ties to an indicted Chicago businessman and her taxrecords, despite their agreement two days earlier on the needto focus on issues.
Clinton's campaign questioned Obama's judgment in hisdealings with campaign supporter and businessman Antoin "Tony"Rezko.
Obama's campaign fired back, calling it "the height ofhypocrisy for Sen. Clinton to demand the release of documentsalready on our campaign Web site" while she has refused torelease her full tax returns during her time in the Senate.
The stepped-up attacks came ahead of the crucial April 22Pennsylvania primary.
Obama, who would be the first black president, and Clinton,who would be the first woman president, are in a close race forthe Democratic nomination to face the presumptive Republicannominee, Sen. John McCain, in the November election.
Clinton's aides cited Obama's disclosure that Rezko hadraised up to $250,000 (123,350 pounds) for his earlierpolitical campaigns, a higher figure than he previouslyreported, and called on him to disclose all documents ande-mails about his Rezko dealings.
"It raises questions about Sen. Obama's judgment,"Clinton's deputy communications director, Phil Singer, said."The revelations make clear that Sen. Obama has not always beenstraight forward about his relationship with Tony Rezko."
Obama's spokesman fired back by calling on Clinton todisclose her tax returns and other information.
SENATE FLOOR CHAT
"Democrats across the country should be very concernedabout Sen. Clinton's refusal to offer a full and completeaccounting of what could be lurking in this financialinformation," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
Singer said her returns would be released around April 15.
Rezko, a property developer and restaurant entrepreneur ison trial, accused by federal prosecutors of extorting bribesand campaign donations as well as money laundering.
Obama has long denied there was anything in hisrelationship with Rezko that relates to the corruption trialand there is no evidence he did anything wrong.
Clinton's campaign called on Obama to release all detailsabout his contacts with Rezko over his home deal. Obamacoordinated the purchase of his Chicago home with Rezko andbought part of an adjoining property from Rezko and his wife.
The exchanges between the two campaigns occurred afterClinton and Obama talked briefly Thursday on the Senate floor.
"We talked about the importance of keeping our campaigns onthe issues," Clinton told reporters on her plane in Pittsburgh.
"We both have had instances during the course of the yearwith staff members, supporters saying things that we've had toreject and repudiate, and we want to make sure that we try tokeep this campaign focused on what voters are interested in,"she said.
Obama's campaign gave a similar account of the meeting.
Clinton, with a bright green scarf wrapped around her neck,campaigned and marched in St. Patrick's Day parades inPittsburgh and Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she sought toreach out to the state's sizable constituency of Catholic andIrish Americans.
In response to criticism that she exaggerated her role inthe Northern Ireland peace process, she said, "I helped withthe peace process in Northern Ireland. ... That's beenvalidated in many different settings by many different peoplewho were part of the process."
Meanwhile, Obama, in a speech in Plainfield, Indiana, againrepudiated the remarks made by his Chicago pastor, Rev.Jeremiah Wright. Wright was removed as the "spiritual adviser,"to the campaign.
In Wright's sermons over the years, which have beencirculated in the media and on the YouTube Web site, he hascalled the September 2001 attacks retribution for U.S. foreignpolicy, cited the U.S. government as the source of the AIDSvirus, and railed against a racist America.
"Most recently you heard some statements from my formerpastor that are incendiary and that I completely reject,although I knew him and know him as somebody in my church whotalked to me about Jesus and family and friendships," Obamasaid.
"But if all I knew was those statements that I saw ontelevision, I would be shocked. And it reminds me we've got atragic history when it comes to race in this country. We've gota lot of pent-up anger and bitterness and misunderstanding," hesaid.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Andrew Stern,Editing by Jackie Frank)
