Sweet: Obama, McCaskill say no State of the Union Clinton snub intended.

WASHINGTON–Barack Obama, asked Tuesday about whether he snubbed Hillary Rodham Clinton at the State of the Union said no, he did not.

” I was surprised by the reports this morning. There was a photograph in the Times about me sort of turning away. I was turning away because Claire asked me a question as Senator Kennedy was reaching for me. Senator Clinton and I have had very cordial relations off the floor and on the floor. I waved at her as I was coming in to the Senate into the Senate chamber before we walked over last night.

“There is a lot more tea leaf reading going on here than I think people are suggesting.”

Sen. Claire McCaskil (D-Mo.) with Obama was at the address on Monday night with him. Travelling with Obama, she vouched for his version. ” It was not a snub. I had a ringside seat. It was one of those accidents that just happened and it was caught on film. Everyone is spoiling for a fight which is the politcs of old and this campaign isnt about the politics of old. It is about new.

It is unfortunate that everyone is so anxious for there to be a problem on a personal level and I gotta tell you its just not there and I hope that you guys can correct the impression thats out there that somehow there was some kind of attempt by Barack to be disrespectful or impolite.”