Obama criticizes Clinton business ties

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama Friday accused rival Hillary Clinton of being too cozy with special interests, CNN reported.

"You know, after defending Washington lobbyists as people who 'represent real Americans' at a debate in August, Sen. Clinton said (Thursday) that she would take them on as president," Obama was quoted as saying while campaigning in Wisconsin.

Obama's comments came after a speech Clinton made to General Motors Corp. employees and executives, in which the New York senator argued she's proposed solutions and intimated Obama had not.

Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, claimed Clinton has taken almost twice as much in campaign contributions from lobbyists as any other candidate this election, CNN reported.

"That's not being a part of the solutions business. That's being a part of business-as-usual in Washington," Obama said.