itsmeeeeeee

Hillary Spokesperson Compares Obama To...Ken Starr!
here's one for the "how low can the possibly go?" file!

TPM Election Central | Talking Points Memo |

By Greg Sargent - March 6, 2008, 11:32AM

Hillary spokesperson Howard Wolfson, on a conference call with reporters just now, drew an intriguing comparison between Obama and a somewhat-forgotten figure who is still deeply hated by Dems...

"When Senator Obama was confronted with questions over whether he was ready to be Commander-in-Chief and steward of the economy, he chose not to address those questions, but to attack Senator Clinton. I for one do not belive that imitating Ken Starr is the way to win a Democratic primary election for president."

Wolfson is referring to oblique references to Whitewater and other past Clinton stories that the Obama camp has made lately -- attacks Wolfson is trying to discredit by associating them with Starr's panty-sniffing inquisition.

That episode, of course, is a nightmare that's lodged deeply in the collective memory of Dem primary voters, and Ken Starr himself is perhaps almost as reviled by Dems as Arch Demon Karl Rove. Talk about throwing down the gauntlet.

Late Update: It's also worth asking whether this gambit is about reinforcing Hillary's bond with female voters by invoking Hillary's severe public humiliation at the hands of her husband and a prurient GOP and media.

Late Late Update: Obama spokesperson Bill Burton responds:

“It is absurd that after weeks of badgering the media to ‘vet’ Senator Obama, the Clinton campaign believes that they should be held to an entirely different standard. We don’t believe that expecting candidates for the presidency to disclose their tax returns somehow constitutes Ken Starr-tactics, but the kind of transparency and accountability that Americans are looking for and that’s been missing in Washington for far too long. And if Senator Clinton doesn’t think that the Republicans will ask these very same questions, then she’s not as ready to go toe-to-toe with John McCain as she claims.”

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HarperLee

Jesus Christ!

Her campaign is doing exactly what Karl Rove did w/GWB's 2000 and 2004 campaigns. Got a negative? Project and accuse your opponent
of it. You were MIA for a dental appointment when you were in the
Natonal Guard and any records of your service are incomplete --
simple, attack Kerry's actual service in Vietnam.

Barack Obama did not ask for Clinton's tax returns first. Tim Russert did. And Hillary was lying when she agreed that she would make them available.

Mithrall

But apparently immitating Rove is.

HarperLee

I was a Fan of Bill's in the 90s and never thought I would be defending Ken Starr, but here I go:

I think Hillary was lying through her teeth when she went on the Today show to deny the Monica allegations and whine about the
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy out to get the Clintons.

The Monica story was true. Hillary's pitiful Canada/NAFTA/Obama
smear this week was not true.

ibex

Of course Hillary lied when she refused to believe the allegations about Lewinsky. The only time she ever got pissed off at Bill was when his affairs threatened their intertwined political fortunes. Even more so than Bill, Hillary Clinton has benefited from the fact that her strongest political opponents have come from the bottom of the conservative heap and represent the lowest slime merchants of the far right. The more preposterous the claims are that they make about the Clintons, the easier it is for both of them to hide their actual crimes and misdemeanors in plain sight. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from being a fanatical Clinton hater, but the pardoning of Marc Rich, even if it pales in comparison to the war crimes and fuck ups of the Bushies, was unconscionable. It would only have the equivalent of Bush/Cheney absolving Ken Lay. This is why the Dems have to get her out of the Presidential race. Even though I said earlier that I'd pull the lever for Dollar Bill Hill if she ultimately wins the nomination, I'll still feel sick about doing so. A choice between McCain and Clinton amounts to nothing more than one between cancer and chemotherapy. Both options suck and may give you the same end result.

itsmeeeeeee

the clinton campaign is keeping the press away from bill now, because he makes too many harmful comments to the press. and did anyone notice his conspicuous absence on stage tuesday night?

i wonder how they are going to keep him from doing the same thing for four years when she's president? duct tape? can you imagine the trouble this man, who's mouth seems to be stuck on "fling" mode now days, could stir up for her in washington, with nothing much to do but schlump around the white house with a stiffy?

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HarperLee

Pat Buchanan could not believe that 1) that Wolfson's was not speaking off the cuff, but speaking from a prepared statement, and 2) that he would evoke memories of Ken Starr and Lewinski. Buchanan said, "You do not speak of rope in the home of a man who was hung."

But the woman on the Hardball panel got it: Mentioning Ken
Starr evokes memories of Monica Lewinski and brings out sympathy for Poor Hillary.

Jonesy

A strong case could be made to Constitutionally ban things like lies, deceit and propaganda when coming from government. These types of things are exactly what the Constitution fights. We have seen the damage and oppression these devices can cause (i.e.: multiple wars against innocents foreign and domestic).

As far as I can tell, it is legal for Congress to create such an amendment. It is only illegal for Congress to abridge freedom of speech through normal law (laws for people, not government).

Veronica

Strap them both to the moment of truth chair and let's see who comes out telling more lies. I would put all of my money on Obama.

She is a disgrace and embarassment. Edwards is weak if he doesn't come out and put the stake in her heart.

Black_Knight

I'm going to prepare some Molotov cocktails if Clinton wins the primary. I was to young to do anything in 2000 when the dems should have rioted and beat the hell out of the Bush hacks who interfered with the recount, but I won't be sitting with my thumb up my ass for 2008