Primary blast from the past: Clinton aides claim Obama photo wasn't intended as a smear

[mmonk]

Barack Obama's campaign team today accused Hillary Clinton's beleaguered staff of mounting a desperate dirty tricks operation by circulating a picture of him in African dress, feeding into false claims on US websites that he is a Muslim.

Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, described it as "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election". Obama has had to spend much of the campaign stressing he is a Christian not a Muslim and did not study at a madrassa.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/feb/25/barackobama.hillaryclinton

[vi5]

1. And if Bernie gains any ground...

I expect more of the same dirty tricks.

[daleanime]

2. You mean like implying that he's sexist?

Been there, done that.

[Tipperary]

4. He has not been gaining much ground.

So no worries there.

[magical thyme]

7. yet he's even with or ahead of where Obama was in December '07. nt

[roguevalley]

9. love flat statements about the land line polls. By the way, I've been to Tipperary a lot. LOVE that

place. The Rock of Cashel is our favorite go and sit down on the grass place.

[Ned_Devine]

11. Show them this clip when they throw their poll #'s at you

[magical thyme]

38. awesome...

[Matariki]

43. That was so awesome!

So right on and hysterically funny. Thanks. I never heard of Lee Camp before. Gonna check out more...

[CharlotteVale]

44. OMG, loved that guy!!!

[Tipperary]

26. I have never visited Tipperary.

I have been to Ireland many times and I hope to visit there one day.

I got my screen name from the song.

[AlbertCat]

19. So no worries there.

Hubris.



Read a Greek Tragedy once in a while.

[cwydro]

24. Time will tell.

[CoffeeCat]

27. Actually the two most recent polls have Bernie within single digits...

Bernie started out at .8 percent in Iowa. The race is now within single digits.

The Iowa Poll had him within 9, and now a recent CBS/YouGov poll has Sanders within 5.

That's huge.

The Clinton camp, no doubt, is staring down a repeat of 2008. Bernie would win this and they know it.

Sanders is drawing crowds of 1500-2000 and we're not yet into the frenzied, final push of the caucuses, when Iowans are out in droves at these events. There is genuine, organic interest in Bernie. Clinton, not so much.

Attendance at her events as been anemic. I'm sure the Clinton campaign is alarmed. She struggles to get 200-300 at an event.

Her Keota event was a rally in the making, for months. The focus of the rally was the three girls who started a social-media campaign to get Hillary to visit their town. Good for those girls! However, those in attendance were supporting the girls, the school and the effort put into getting Hillary to comet to their little town. 700 attended in a town of 900. Most likely, many in the audience were from all political stripes, even Republicans. They weren't endorsing Hillary, they were supporting those girls and their town.

[rhett o rick]

46. The Oligarchy is worried. Their fleecing of the 99% would be hampered if a true

progressive were elected. They will do anything to prevent that. Are you on their side?

[cali]

3. Ugly Clintonian tactics, but that's how they roll.

[monmouth4]

5. She and her tactics disgust me. She feels desperate, I can understand that. She should..n/t

[rhett o rick]

47. This is the culture of the super wealthy. They get what they want no matter what it takes.

Now is the time to kick out the corrupt corporate puppets from our government.

[farleftlib]

6. I remember that. Ugly to the core.

She saves her dirtiest deeds for members of her own party who get in the way of her ambitions. It says a great deal about her total lack of character.

[azmom]

20. [phone]

[CharlotteVale]

45. [phone]

[CoffeeCat]

29. Look for more dirty tricks

Sanders has ten events in Iowa from now until the end of the year.

Clinton has zero.

They're obviously regrouping and re-strategizing.

Gird your loins. I fear the worst. I saw this happen with Obama in 2008. Hillary sent surrogates into our state (Bob Kerry). He called a press conference to endorse Hillary and then said, "I love it that his name is Barack Hussein Obama!". Kerry later apologize for his remarks. Hillary's team also coached questioners (told them they couldn't ask the questions they wanted) and planted questions during a town-hall meeting. Hillary scheduled this event because she had been accused of being closed off an unavailable to Iowa caucus goers, who are used to the candidates answering questions and being authentic. So...these planted questioners didn't go over very well with us.

I think we're about to see some major ugly from the Hillary Clinton peanut gallery. Expect it.

[FlatBaroque]

40. It occurs to me

that all the slimy statements that are composed by the brain trust probably have the apology pre-composed and prepared for delivery at the appropriate time.

[farleftlib]

42. She can't face real people with real questions

She's doing a minimum of debates at horrid times with pre-scripted questions on topics of her own choosing. That's her M.O.

Sssssneaky.

[arcane1]

32. That's because her biggest donors prefer a republican to a progressive.

And they definitely prefer a republican to a democratic socialist!

[jalan48]

8. Oh those Clintons!

And yet, according to them everyone is always out to get them. Go figure!

[winterwar]

10. Nauseating

How low can you go? How can anybody defend this?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. It's the classic,"He(She) may be an asshole but he's(she's) OUR asshole"....

It's an admired trait. They picture those "skills" being used for our benefit.

Winning dirty is still winning to these people and they are ALWAYS surprised when they get betrayed.

[SoapBox]

12. I'm expecting her campaign and supporters to repeat these same tactics...

Since it seems that they cannot stick to issues.

Of course, it's hard to stick to issues when one has been all over the map about everything.

[FairWinds]

13. And HRC really needs to stop lying . .

about single payer health care.

[Duval]

14. Disgusting! eom

[lastone]

15. I never knew

The Clinton campaign was behind leaking this picture, seals it for me. Sanders is the ONLY CHOICE!

[pnwmom]

18. The Rethugs were probably behind it, IMO. That way McCain could get the picture

out without having to bear the credit for it. And he got to ding two Dems at the same time.

[pnwmom]

17. Yet David Flouffe, Obama's campaign manager mentioned in the article, endorses HRC.

And there was never any proof that the photo was distributed by Hillary people. It could have been pushed out there by the McCain people, trying to hurt both Dems at the same time.

I think that is what is most likely.

[mmonk]

21. So was he lying then or not?

http://www.politico.com/story/2008/02/obama-slams-smear-photo-008667



I don't really know but am not naïve to discount dirty tricks by any candidate or party.

[pnwmom]

22. I don't think he was lying; I think he was probably mistaken. And he's endorsed HRC now.

That's the bottom line.

[mmonk]

23. I'll gladly retract if you can find evidence.

BTW, I was a state delegate for Obama during those elections.

[hobbit709]

34. I wouldn't hold my breath.

[mmonk]

36. My mama didn't raise no fool.

However the offer stands.

[arcane1]

33. Some of her loudest supporters on DU absolutely HATED her in 2008.

Opportunity knocks and some answer the door.

[pnwmom]

37. I liked all 3 candidates in 2008, as I do now -- till J.E. let us down.

And since then, Hillary's become an even stronger candidate.

But I agree with the candidates themselves -- the differences between them are relatively minor, when compared to the panel of Rethugs.

[grossproffit]

25. Did another bad poll come out today?

[mmonk]

28. I don't know. I don't pay attention to them.

Especially since their unreliability since 2000.

[Dem2]

30. Another "vent your spleen here" thread?

Discuss.

[mmonk]

35. No anger on my part. I just remembered it

and looked it up.

[pa28]

31. Oh yes. I remember that well.

I especially remember the snide way they tried spinning it.

Maggie Williams, campaign manager for Clinton, played down the significance of the picture. "If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely."

[treestar]

39. so instead of saying anything positive about Bernie or

campaigning for him or canvassing for him, it is better to dig up resentments of the previous primary that was 8 years ago? Do you really think any Hillary supporters are going to switch to Bernie over the resentments of 8 years ago? Oh yeah, I forgot that, I hate Hillary after all. Obama himself and his supporters who are for Hillary now are going to suddenly, now, be swayed by this remembrance from the past?

People who have gotten past it (and some of our posters have been chastised for being against Hillary in 2008 but being for her now) and others are not so negative and hate based that this "reminder" is going to work. If President Obama ends up supporting her, the same people are certainly not going to say well no President Obama, we still hate her from when she campaigned against you 8 years ago.

[mmonk]

41. Take my post at face value. It isn't a substitute

for anything.

[Doctor_J]

48. her political past is quite disgusting

She doesn't appear to have any morals left. An entire adult life of pandering and living within the dc millionaires club has wiped out her soul.