Hillary Clinton personally said sorry to Barack Obama after a key aide questioned her White House rival’s past use of drugs, in a misstep which overshadowed a vital campaign debate.
Clinton had hoped to use the last Democratic showdown before Iowa’s caucuses launch 2008 nominating contests on January 3, to sweep away  reports of turmoil in her campaign.
Instead, she had to accept the resignation of Bill Shaheen, a powerplayer in another key state, New Hampshire, in a row which the Obama campaign used to bolster claims she is guilty of using damaging hyper-partisan politics.
The row erupted after Shaheen told the Washington Post that Republicans would attack Obama for his past experimentation with drugs, which the Illinois senator acknowledged in a memoir, as a folly of his youth.
“It’ll be, ‘When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?’” Shaheen said.