The rival presidential campaigns of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama traded accusations yesterday over Hollywood donor David Geffen,
The Clinton campaign demanded that Mr Obama denounce comments made by the Dreamworks movie studio founder, who told New York Timescolumnist Maureen Dowd in yesterday's editions that while "everybody in politics lies," the former president and his wife "do it with such ease, it's troubling".
The Clinton camp also called on Mr Obama to give back Geffen's $2,300 contribution.
Campaigning in Iowa, Obama refused. "It's not clear to me why I'd be apologising for someone else's remark," the Illinois senator said.
For her part, New York Senator Hillary Clinton sidestepped questions, leaving the issue to her aides to discuss.
Mr Geffen once backed Bill Clinton but now supports his wife's top rival.
In the newspaper interview, Geffen also said Bill Clinton is "a reckless guy" and that he does not think Hillary Clinton can bring the country together during a time of war, no matter how smart or ambitious she is.