HuffPo: There were "secretive efforts by the Clinton campaign to promote the Obama-cocaine issue"

[ClarkUSA]

An earlier Huffington Post article from Dec. 11 described secretive efforts by the Clinton campaign to promote the
Obama-cocaine issue. In the HuffPost article, Howard Wolfson, Clinton's communications director, contended that
the campaign has not tried to make use of Obama's past cocaine use and that it would not attempt to do so in the
future. "Candidates personal lives should not be a part of this campaign," Wolfson said.

Responding to Shaheen's comments, Wolfson said today, "These comments were not authorized or condoned by the
campaign in any way."

Allies of the Clinton campaign had sent emails to reporters and Democratic activists with a link to an Iowa Independent
story by Douglas Burns headlined "The Politics Of Obama's Past Cocaine Use."

<snip>

Sources pointed out that in 1992, Bill Clinton complained when President George H. W. Bush tried to capitalize on Clinton's
marijuana use... It was the first time Bush had so directly brought up a problem that dogged the Arkansas governor in
the spring -- his acknowledgment that he had tried marijuana while studying at Oxford University in Britain, but that he
had not inhaled. <...> Clinton, responding to the day's attacks on him, told a reporter that he felt "sorry" for Bush. "I think
that that sort of demeaning talk doesn't do him any good and only shows the American people how desperate he is to
hold onto his job," Clinton said as he attended a dinner in Washington, D.C.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/12/clinton-cochair-attacks-_n_76549.html

Kinda makes you wonder what Bill thinks of Bill Shaheen's demeaning talk and whether it's doing Hillary any good to
show how desperate she is, eh?

How low will Hillary go in her hot pursuit of a Clinton II presidency? There is no end to this political black hole, I'm afraid.

Meanwhile, today's Rasmussen Reports poll in New Hampshire shows Obama beating Hillary, 31% to 28%. John Edwards
is in third place with 17%. Just two weeks ago, Hillary held a seven-point lead in New Hampshire. A month ago, she was
up by ten percentage points: http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/new_hampshire/election_2008_new_hampshire_democratic_primary

Also, today's new Strategic Vision poll in Iowa that shows Obama leading the Democratic pack with 33%, followed by
Hillary Clinton with 25%, and John Edwards with 24%: http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/iowa_poll_121307.htm

So it would seem the more Hillary, Bill, and their vicious band of Clintonians attack Obama, the better he looks to
voters. Most Americans want nothing to do with more Atwater-Rove-Bush-Clinton politics of personal destruction.

Been there, done that.

It really is time to turn the page.

The New York Times summed up Bill Shaheen's asinine rationalization for bringing up Obama's cocaine use pretty nicely
in a report titled "Better You Should Hear It From Me":

Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in New Hampshire, is worried that the Republicans will raise the
issue of Sen. Barack Obama’s past admissions of drug use. So he’s decided, apparently in the spirit of Democratic unity, to
pre-empt them, reports The Washington Post’s Alec MacGillis:

Shaheen said Obama’s candor on the subject would “open the door” to further questions. “It’ll be, ‘When was the last time?
Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?’ ” Shaheen said. “There are so many openings for Republican
dirty tricks. It’s hard to overcome.”

No word of thanks yet from the Obama campaign.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/better-you-should-hear-it-from-me/?hp

Fuck. The. Clintons.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Is Chris Lehane...

Doing some double-secret work in this affair?

To think of all the years we spent railing about repuke ratfuckers who did Dems dirty. Now we have Dem ratfuckers doing Dems dirty.

The irony.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Either that, or someone is channelling Lee Atwater over there...

"To think of all the years we spent railing about repuke ratfuckers who did Dems dirty. Now we have Dem ratfuckers doing Dems dirty."

I've been smelling Chris Lehane's handiwork since the Novak bomb went off in Hillary's face describing "Clinton operatives" starting a
whispering campaign about Obama's past. Just as bad for us here, we have the Dem ratfuckers' supporters shrugging this off.

[nightrider767]

2. It will backfire on the Clintons...

if it is true....

[CoffeeCat]

3. IT's all ready backfiring...

The polls that the OP mentioned demonstrate what's been happening on the ground
in Iowa.

Voters are not impressed with candidates who lie and campaign like wolves. They
will be rejected at the caucuses.

I am seriously wondering if Hillary will even be in the top 3 in Iowa.

She is tanking, and the mistakes just keep coming.

[sjdnb]

5. "Allies of the Clinton campaign had sent emails" - I want to see one

I am so sick and tired of unnamed sources, insiders, phantom documents, etc. -- none of whom/which are ever named/found or those who 'report' on them held accountable. This is the same type of crap journalism that got us into Iraq.

Now, I am not a Hillary supporter -- she's last on my list, only above Not Voting. But, for just once, I'd just like to see some journalistic integrity for a change.

This is the same crap reporters, pundits, and politicians all pull - Dems/Libs and Reps/Cons alike -- when they want to dish some dirt and not actually have to prove the dirt is true, just pull out the old, reliable, 'unnamed source'.

The media needs to realize, as pathetic as I may think it is, they play a major role in shaping the direction of the nation and, therefore, should be more responsible and thoughtful in all of their reporting.

[ClarkUSA]

6. Email Tom Edsall, the writer of this article. He has sterling credentials as a journalist.

From his HuffPo bio:

"Thomas B. Edsall is the political editor of the Huffington Post. He is also Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor at the Columbia
Graduate School of Journalism. From 1981 to 2006, he was a political reporter at the Washington Post. He is the author of Chain Reaction and
Building Red America. Tom can be reached at [e-mail]."

Go for it. I assure you he's no Drudge, whom Hillary likes to feed stories to.

[Tellurian]

7. Sure thing...he's a Republican..

Thanks for your concern!

[ClarkUSA]

8. What's your source for that information? Link?

Not that there's anything wrong with that since Hillary has Republican neocons advising her on foreign policy, right?

[Tellurian]

9. No, that would be Obama..and includes his FP advisor, Powell.

Hillary has Gen Wesley Clark and Joe Wilson advising her.. Do those names ring any of your bells as being Republican?

[ClarkUSA]

10. No source, eh? Thought so. And no, Powell is not his FP advisor. Another patent falsehood.

Love those new Iowa and NH polls, don't you? I do. :P

[sjdnb]

11. Will do ...

emailing him now. I'll post the reply I receive.

[Rageneau]

12. This story looks like a Karl Rove operation.

IMO, the target of this sleaze bomb is as likely to be Hillary as it is Obama.

If every negative charge asserted is true -- and I see no proof that any of them are -- it makes Hillary's campaign look underhanded and hypocritical.

Which, if every negative charge asserted is NOT true, might be underhanded idea.

[ClarkUSA]

13. Um, how so? Since it's obvious that Hillaryworld has been pushing the "Obama did cocaine" story...

The target of their sleeze bomb has been Obama. And the negative charges are well-deserved, given the Clintonian track record so far. Don't
forget those "Obama is an Islamic Manchurian candidate who studied at a madrassa emails" that were sent by Clinton campaign regional directors.
The Clintons are far from innocent... in fact, the swift boating game they're playing is vintage Rovian.

[whirlygigspin]

14. "if I wanted to vote for monkeys flinging poop, i'd vote for a 'puke"

this is bad for Hillary & Obama

--when 'winning' becomes more important than common decency, both are lost.

forget 'winning' Hillary, try leadership

[K Gardner]

17. When winning becomes more important than common decency, both are lost..

(sorry, it HAD to be repeated! ) Excellent response.

[ClarkUSA]

28. Thanks...

Love the quote. :thumbsup:

[ClarkUSA]

27. Yup.

Couldn't have said it better.


:toast:

[crikkett]

23. I really wonder if Rove's working for her

because her campaign is so ....republican. Isn't it?

[earthlover]

15. So Shehan is spreading Republican Talking Points before the Reps even do?

I think that is what he said he was doing.

Sad, because one of the Hillary Talking Points is that any criticism of Hillary is Republican Talking Points!

The irony of it all!

[K Gardner]

16. I was for Hillary before I was against her...

I was disgusted with Hillary before I was sickened. Now, I'm just plain angry. I came home this morning from a long 12-hour shift to find news everywhere I turned about HRC's latest attack: "Obama dealing drugs". I am too angry to write coherently. Too angry to think constructively. I think it is fair to say that under no circumstances, in this lifetime, will I ever vote for Hillary Clinton. I would not vote for her if she were running for the position of local animal control dispatcher. I want Hillary to go home. Wherever that is. I want her negativity off my airwaves, off my TV, out of my mind. I hope she goes down in utter flames. How dare she label herself the solution to all the problems, the hate, the war, the destruction of the Bush Regime when she runs a campaign of utter personal destruction and slander towards another Democrat. We don't see this from anyone but her. Sorry, fellow Democrats, but this is one who won't pull the lever for "any" Democrat. Not her. Not now. Not ever. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. Anyone who had the best interest of THIS country at heart, at THIS time, would not be doing what she is doing. Karma is a real bitch...evidently, karma is in good company.

[Evergreen Emerald]

18. wow--so based on a headline, you become angry

That is the problem with politics today. The media propaganda machine is in full force, twisting and distorting the story.


Clinton's elect ability has been called into question. Well, asked the reporter, there is plenty to attack about Clinton, how on earth could the republicans attack Obama? Well, was the answer--he admitted to doing cocaine--they could exploit that. Well, how could they exploit that? Answer...

And off the freaked-out-tizzy-fit-media goes. Distorting the story, etc.

And people who work long hours, read the headline, and BELIEVE the media. Don't look past the hype to the real issues.

And viola: Bush is president.

Having said that: everything about Clinton's past is on the table--why isn't everything about Obama's past?

[K Gardner]

20. Don't EVEN go there.. don't even. I guarandamntee you I've spent decades

in politics, campaigning, protesting, writing and researching issues. I've spent 7 long tortuous years under the horrid, nasty political machinations of Bush, Rove & Co. I'm sick of it. You may try, and it may indeed make you feel better to lump me into the "sheeple" herd; but it doesn't make it true. What is sickening is that most people DO only see the headlines, and that's just what Hillary was counting on, wasn't it? Your response is disgusting. And ever so Clintonesque.

[Evergreen Emerald]

22. That is a shame--apparently you would rather continue America's spin down the porcelin bowl.

Becasue that is what will happen when the republicans win.

Look, I can only base my conclusions of you from your post: HRC's latest attack: "Obama dealing drugs."

That is no more than spin. It was not HRC's attack. It was not an attack, and it did not suggest that Obama was dealing drugs. So, right there--it appears that you would rather believe the headlines than really look at what happened.

I can tell that you are extremely negative towards Clinton--and so, of course this headline plays into your lexicon. And allows you to regurgitate the right-wing talking points that were drilled into your head in the 90's. It is very easy to just repeat the talking points. It is very easy to hate and then to fit any behavior into your ready-mold, even if it has to be twisted to fit.

It is a shame you do not see Clinton for who she is: a woman who has worked hard for children and women and has dedicated her career to public office rather than making big $ in the private sector.
Your hatred and vitriol is a shame. Her record is progressive and smart and shows her dedication to America.

[SIMPLYB1980]

24. Well said.

:yourock:

[ClarkUSA]

30. You would rather prop up a Rovian swift boating candidate who helped Bush flush the toilet...

...than admit the truth and apologize for any of your girl's dirty tricks.

Spin the story all you want but anyone who isn't a Hillaryworld Hypocrite of The Highest Order knows the score.

By the time this is all over, it will be time for the Clintons to think about retirement so Bill can play golf with his adopted daddy, Poppy Bush.

I wonder if Bill calls him Poppy by now? Hmmm.... family Thanksgivings must be real fun.

[jefferson_dem]

19. I used to have great respect for both Bill and Hillary.

That has now dwindled to occasional feelings of positive nostalgia ... quickly on the road to utter disgust.

[Diane R]

26. I'm currently reading "For Love of Politics". I'm losing my respect for them, too.

[JPZenger]

21. All Dems Who Never Tried Drugs Should Vote Hillary

I suggest that any Democrat who never tried drugs should vote for Clinton.

What strikes me is that this remark was not by some rural county campaign chairman, and was not just a remark that was overheard. It was from the Campaign Co-Chairman in an interview with a Washington Post reporter. You don't speak off-the-cuff in a press interview.

By the way, Hillary, when did you stop beating your husband?

[SIMPLYB1980]

25. Where is your prof that their is a secret plan?

I don't see any prof in the OP, or links.

[Name removed]

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