Asked about top Obama adviser David Axelrod’s insinuation that her Iraq vote in 2002 may have had something to do with Benazir Bhutto’s assassination by distracting attention from the fight against al Qaeda, Hillary Clinton declined to respond — telling CNN, “I really regret that anybody would try to politicize this tragedy.”

But her surrogates aren’t biting their tongues. In a written statement,  former Supreme Allied Commander and ex-presidential candidate Wesley Clark says “This is a time for leadership, not politics. Senator Obama’s campaign seems to believe that Senator Clinton’s actions led to the tragic events in Pakistan. This is an incredible and insulting charge. It politicizes a tragic event of enormous strategic consequence to the United States and the world, and it has no place in this campaign.”

The Clinton campaign is walking a fine line in dealing with the Bhutto assassination; it’s widely seen as politically helpful, since it reminds caucus goers of her foreign policy experience and strength against extremists. But she has to be careful not be seen as exploiting Bhutto’s death and her personal relationship with the former PM by playing her hand too aggressively.

Axelrod’s comments allow her to accuse Obama of being exploitative, and still keep the story (and her foreign policy credentials) in the news for another day.