Politics on the Hudson

Campaign attacks and a photo of Barack Obama in traditional Muslim clothing were intertwined in the opening exchange in tonight’s debate between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

Before either candidate spoke, MSNBC showed video of Clinton telling Obama she was honored to be with him at last Thursday’s debate followed by another clip of her saying “shame on you, Barack Obama’’ at a campaign event over the weekend because of what she described as a misleading and inaccurate campaign mailer.

The clips – often repeated on cable TV news shows in the last couple of days – drew laughter from the candidates and the audience.

“This is a contested campaign,’’ Clinton said in response.

Asked whether her campaign originated the photo of Obama that was posted on the Internet this week by The Drudge Report, Clinton said, “I certainly know nothing about it and have made clear that that’s not the kind of behavior that I condone or expect from the people working in my campaign.’’

Said Obama: “I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo. So I think that’s something that we can set aside.’’

The two candidates spent much of the next 15 minutes rehashing their differences on how to achieve universal health care.