Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- Hours before she was slated to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic Party convention, Hillary Clinton took a shot at presidential candidate John McCain. She offered the preview of her speech at an event hosted by pro-abortion group Emily’s List that saw Michelle Obama participate as well.

"We need in the White House starting on January 20th Barack Obama and Joe Biden," Clinton said, endorsing the pro-abortion ticket.

"Barack and Joe will champion the issues that we care about," she continued. "They will be there with us when we need to get that support from a president and a vice president.”

Clinton said McCain is anti-woman and that he would hold them back by opposing abortion and in other ways.

"He doesn't believe that women deserve the right to choose," she said. "He would turn the clock back when what we need from our president is forward movement, more progress, the kind of opportunities that we expect for the next generation of Americans."

Jonathan Last, a columnist for the Weekly Standard pointed out an awkward moment at the pro-abortion event.

Clinton said that,’If the president is not exactly on our side, call the first lady--and with Michelle Obama we're going to have somebody who answers that phone.”

“It was a strange formulation, complimenting Michelle Obama while suggesting that President Obama might not always be on the right side of EMILY's List women--and then adding an allusion to the famous 3:00 A.M. ad,” he explained. “As endorsements go, they don't come more carefully calibrated.”

Obama didn’t talk as much about abortion -- or her opposition to a ban on partial-birth abortions -- as much as she touted her husband’s candidacy.

"Isn't this an extraordinary time for our nation," Obama asked. "Folks are talking about change and they're hungry for it. In two days we're going to make history when we nominate this guy I happen to be married to president of the United States."

While Clinton and Obama were speaking, about a dozen pro-life advocates protested outside the Sheraton Hotel, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined her at the luncheon.

One pro-life advocate held up a poster with a picture of a baby victimized by abortion and a comment saying, "Barack Obama change this."

The Emily’s List event didn’t go off without a hitch. It started 40 minutes late and one pro-abortion activist left before Pelosi and Obama got up to speak.

 

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