Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bosnia "When Asked". Suuuuure They Do.

Well, I got bits and pieces of the debate in between RL stuff, but I SWEAR I heard Barack Obama claim that the only reason his campaign has raised Bosnia was because they were asked about it. I guess if he meant "was asked once and then talked about it nonstop with no further encouragement", he would be right, but I don't think that was what he meant. He was clearly trying to imply that his campaign didn't raise the issue spontaneously, being a good clean issues-focused campaign and all.

Yeah, right. The helpful research people over at Facthub put together a list of instances where Obama's campaign had Bosnia Tourette's.  Here they are.


Obama campaign memo: 'Clinton's fantastic invention of a sniper-raked landing is only one in a growing list of instances in which she has exaggerated her role as first lady.' "'Clinton's fantastic invention of a sniper-raked landing is only one in a growing list of instances in which she has exaggerated her role as first lady, particularly with respect to domestic policy,' a scorching campaign memo said in one of the harshest broadsides to date."[New York Post, 3/27/08]

Obama campaign memo: 'Unfortunately, Clinton's fantastic invention of a sniper-raked landing is only one in a growing list of instances where she has exaggerated her role as First Lady, particularly with respect to domestic policy.' [Obama campaign memo, 3/26/08]

Obama campaign memo: `Senator Clinton's claims about her visit to Tuzla, Bosnia - and the footage disproving her account - have created quite a stir. And with good reason.' Senator Clinton's claims about her visit to Tuzla, Bosnia--and the footage disproving her account--have created quite a stir. And with good reason. As the Associated press wrote yesterday: "What makes Clinton's situation unique--and the Bosnia embellishments so damaging--is the fact that the New York senator has built her candidacy on the illusion of experience. Any attack on her credentials is a potential Achilles heel."[Obama campaign memo, 3/26/08]

Obama campaign memo: 'The claims Senator Clinton makes turn out to be little more than stories.' "The refrain that Senator Clinton 'has the experience to lead on Day One' has been repeated endlessly since she entered the race. On closer inspection, the claims Senator Clinton makes turn out to be little more than stories. With the next primary less than a month away, it's time for Senator Clinton to finally face the 'vetting' she's so fond of discussing. Badly trailing in delegates, votes, and states won, she's going to need more than a new script to win the nomination. But if she wants to regain the trust of the American people, it would be a good place to start."[Obama campaign memo, 3/26/08]

Obama Press Release: `"Misspoke"? Clinton's Prepared Remarks on Bosnia Join Similar Stretches on FMLA, SCHIP, and NAFTA' [Obama Campaign Press Release, 3/24/08]

I don't know how much more of this positive campaigning I'm going to be able to stand.

Tags: 2008 Primaries, Barack Obama, president, Recommended (all tags)

Comments

72 Comments

Oustanding Camp - Highly Rec'd!

Great find - thanks for posting this ;o)

by alegre 2008-04-16 06:18PM | 0 recs
Re: Oustanding Camp - Highly Rec'd!

And wasn't Hillary FABULOUS in tonight?

For more info on BO's attacks...

http://www.attacktimeline.com/

by alegre 2008-04-16 06:20PM | 0 recs
All attacks all the time

And really, at this point, the personal attacks are frequently repeating Republican Talking Points.

All this is accomplishing is helping elect Republicans.

by fladem 2008-04-16 08:13PM | 0 recs
fact checks

You mean him, right, attacking her over Bosnia in his ads in PA. they called him on that at CNN, but then claimed she's the negative one, but at least they gave an example of his negativity before saying he isn't negative and she is (it's a start).  They also gave him another fact check, they have a few more to go, and no way to catch up with the  missed fact checks, but shows they saw she won the debate and had to do a somewhat okay job of reporting.  

by anna shane 2008-04-16 09:44PM | 0 recs
Re: fact checks

He is scum.  He simply uses right wing attack smears, and then claims that he didn't.

ANd no one calls him on it,because they're afraid of being labelled a racist and losing their jobs.

The is obama's 'new politics'....it sounds like old-style mob-thug Chicago politics to me.

by switching sides 2008-04-16 11:58PM | 0 recs
Re: All attacks all the time

Personal attacks claiming democrats are elitist or covert black panthers or fanatical feminists THESE are republican talking points.

But repeatedly making erroneous claims about your foreign policy resume - that's fair game for any democrat. I think enough has been said about Tuzla, but you're all scraping the barrel for a tit-for-tat.

Bosnia is not inherently a republican talking point. Simple

by brit 2008-04-16 11:56PM | 0 recs
Obama, keeping it positive

Hillary, not so much.

Wapo poll from yesterday:

"The latest turn in rhetoric comes alongside a perception that the Democratic race has become increasingly negative. In the past two months, the percentage of Democrats calling the contest "mostly negative" has increased 14 points, to 41 percent. While a quarter of Democrats who see the campaign as generally negative blame both sides, more than three times as many blame Clinton's team as Obama's."

"The fierce battle, however, appears to have taken a toll on the image of Clinton, who was once seen as the favorite. And Obama has widened his lead since early February on several key qualities that voters are looking for in a candidate and has narrowed sizable advantages for Clinton on others."

And because of her Bosnia stories:

"Clinton is viewed as "honest and trustworthy" by just 39 percent of Americans, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, compared with 52 percent in May 2006. Nearly six in 10 said in the new poll that she is not honest and trustworthy. And now, compared with Obama, Clinton has a deep trust deficit among Democrats, trailing him by 23 points as the more honest, an area on which she once led both Obama and John Edwards"

by ReillyDiefenbach 2008-04-17 03:06AM | 0 recs
oh look
campskunk with another obama hit smear diary...
*gasp* *gasp* *gasp*
by kindthoughts 2008-04-16 06:18PM | 0 recs
Re: oh look

so he DIDN'T make this blatantly false claim? the transcripts will be up soon - are you willing to abide by their determination as to whether he said it or not?

by campskunk 2008-04-16 06:20PM | 0 recs
Excuse Me?

What here isn't sourced or true?  Did you even READ it beofre pasting in the usual comment?

by alegre 2008-04-16 06:21PM | 0 recs
Re: Excuse Me?

There's no question his campaign pushed the issue in their memos.

However, the FactHub makes it look like Obama's team brought it up over and over again. They list 5 seperate instances.

But the FactHub needs some fact checking of it's own.

4 of the 5 references are actually from the exact same memo from 3/26, including a Daily Post article that quotes from the memo.

The Fact Hub lists them separately to make it look like Obama was on about this non stop, but that's not the case. Follow the FactHub links and see for yourself.

My analysis: Obama was incorrect to say his campaign only brought it up when asked. But Clinton is trying to mislead voters about how often Obama brought it up.  

by jdusek 2008-04-17 03:50AM | 0 recs
As a Michigander
I will explain.
As we were assured our delegation would not be seated (i.e. our votes would count for nothing) many of us MI Dems crossed over to vote GOP either to make mischief or to reward a GOP candidate who was a cut above the usual Republican.
In any revote we are disenfranchised. I would hazard
that many of us are politically involved or we simply would have taken the day off. One man, one vote, nevertheless.
How many of us did this, I do not know, but am personally acquainted with 13.
The Gov. and State Party leaders are responsible for this mess. I blame no one else. Our Gov. is DLC and a FOB. Unfortunately nearly all our SD had declared for Hillary early on. She was the inevitable candidate then. When it became clear that the race was competitive, the drive was on to count those votes cast for HRC. You know its not right.
We were saps. We'll know better next time.
by barnowl 2008-04-17 07:01AM | 0 recs
As a Floridain

I went to the polls and stopped by the Democrat table outside.

In talking to the two there I told them that I supported Bill Clinton in the 90s and they leaned in and told me in a conspiratorial lowered voice that I should not worry, because "there's a huge effort underway to get the Clinton vote out" and that they had it from good inside sources that "the delegates will be seated".

I went on to say that I supported Obama this time and thought what they told me seemed unfair and underhanded.  The look of stunned disbelief on their faces was almost comical, if it hadn't been so sad.  One (the man) actually got up and walked away, the other stuttered some defense after a long pause...

Love to have my vote counted.  Fairly.

-chris

by chrisblask 2008-04-17 08:28AM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks

Thanks for posting- I was watching the debate- Hillary was great!

by ProudMilitaryMom 2008-04-16 06:24PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims just about everything

I noticed that Hillary remarked about his many takes and explanations he has gone through on his slip ups.  Was it the slip up on Wright, or the slip up on church clinging, or the one........................ Change is his theme, ya know.

by Scotch 2008-04-16 06:29PM | 0 recs
Emails from Camp Obama are nasty

Always attacking Hillary.

Good catch campskunk.

by catfish1 2008-04-16 06:38PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His ...

Yeah, you know skunk, hope and change and all that!!!  Give me a break and please vote Hillary, the change America really needs!

by susanclare 2008-04-16 07:19PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign

How could they forget this 3/11 Obama press memo before the controversy even took off?  They pushed the story to begin with.

http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics /2008/03/team_obama_hits_clinton_on_exp. html

From the memo

Bosnia:

Senator Clinton has pointed to a March 1996 trip to Bosnia as proof that her foreign travel involved a life-risking mission into a war zone. She has described dodging sniper fire. While she did travel to Bosnia in March 1996, the visit was not a high-stakes mission to a war zone. On March 26, 1996, the New York Times reported that "Hillary Rodham Clinton charmed American troops at a U.S.O. show here, but it didn't hurt that the singer Sheryl Crow and the comedian Sinbad were also on the stage."

by Apostle 2008-04-16 07:36PM | 0 recs
Obama is even willing to lie

even when he knows he will be called on them.  It is incredible.  What a jerk.

Hillary was splendid, presidential, and hit a home run.  What a great president she will be.

by macmcd 2008-04-16 08:05PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama is even willing to lie

Are you seriously telling us Clinton doesn't lie? Or does she lie because she thinks she won't be called on them?

by ragekage 2008-04-16 08:45PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama is even willing to lie

Heh. Troll-rate instead of answering the question. That really doesn't present the image of responding to my inquiry; it more seems like you're ducking it.

by ragekage 2008-04-16 09:19PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama is even willing to lie

"""Obama is even willing to lie even when he knows he will be called on them.  It is incredible.  What a jerk."""

He is a bald faced liar.

by switching sides 2008-04-17 12:01AM | 0 recs
Obtuse

by barnowl 2008-04-17 07:06AM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bos

There's a real difference between the campaign sending stuff to press (as we all know both camps do) and the candidates themselves doing it. I was so surprised and impressed when Obama didn't hammer Clinton when she as much as admitted she lied about the Bosnia stuff. Unlike Clinton, who made every desperate attempt she could to use every little issue. That whole Weather Underground thing was just appalling.

by brimur 2008-04-16 07:47PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bos

I want to clarify that the biggest reason why it's important for the candidates themselves to refrain from this stuff is because the video WILL reappear in the general. Also, people like you and I will subconsciously give the silly attack more credence to the attack if we hear our preferred candidate make the attack themselves- which will make it harder to reconcile when we finally pick a nominee.

by brimur 2008-04-16 07:50PM | 0 recs
Obama is the boss of his campaign

So if his campaign is actively pushing something and sending out emails relentlessly it is the same thing as Obama saying it himself.  He is the one running a kitchen sink dirty campaign and he is NOT man enough to take responsibility for it.  I love how he tries to weasel out of everything.  But a real president cannot vote present on everything he wants to duck.  He is not presidential material.

by macmcd 2008-04-16 08:15PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama is the boss of his campaign

I see. Clinton's run an entirely clean campaign. She's never stooped to Obama's level. Of course, even if she did, Obama started it.

Did I summarize that correctly?

by ragekage 2008-04-16 08:44PM | 0 recs
I totally disagree

The candidate is 100% responsible for what emanates from the top of his/her campaign.  The . . . buck . . . stops . . . here!  Not somewhere nearby.

People farther down the campaign food chain is a very difficult matter, simply because a political campaign is a complex but temporary organization and it is simply not practically possible to exercise rigid content control over the entirety of a far-flung but loose enterprise of that nature.

That excuse simply does not apply to folks like Axelrod, Plouffe, and especially Greg Kraig who was the one really pushing the "she's a filthy liar" theme on behalf of the campaign.  They're at the top of the campaign communications food chain; they speak for the campaign.

I will say this, now; it's worse when the candidate says it than when the campaign manager or top spokesperson says it.  But really, not all that much worse, because at the very least they show the world in whom the candidate is willing to put his/her utmost trust.

by Trickster 2008-04-16 09:07PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bos

Oh i agree totally. But Hillary is not the kind of candidate who RISES above the fray. Her comfort zone is the GUTTER politic which is why she always manages to sink to NEWER lows.

by april34fff 2008-04-17 11:00AM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bos

Just goes to show you that 109 million still can't by class...

by april34fff 2008-04-17 11:18AM | 0 recs
The Obama campaign

has pushed every. single. major negative attack on Clinton for the last year- basically.  The only one that wasn't pushed by Axelrod and company was the pre-NH tear thing.  Absolutely disgusting and Obama deserves everything he got from ABC tonight- hell, it could have been a lot worse.

by linc 2008-04-16 07:48PM | 0 recs
Re: The Obama campaign

The more nasty this race gets the more quickly super-delegates will be inclined to support Obama and end this. (I say Obama because he is the closest to the necessary number by more than 130 delegates. Very unlikely that Hillary will make up 130 delegates) I really think Clinton is in a box if she thinks the only way she can win is by pushing this stuff.

by brimur 2008-04-16 07:52PM | 0 recs
She hasn't
remember Wright?  Hillary didn't push that in any way.  She was asked a question twice, and replied honestly.


The Obama camp, on the other hand, has dropped a release on the wire since about October of last year trying to exploit and compound every single negative 'revelation' about Hillary Clinton.  It is disgusting.
by linc 2008-04-16 07:55PM | 0 recs
Re: She hasn't

The Clinton camp has actually pushed the Wright stuff a lot, Hillary herself has only commented when asked about it, that is true. But tonight the contrast was huge. Clinton admitted she lied, and Obama could have easily used his rebuttal time to hit her and he totally let her off the hook. She never did that. Even with the totally ridiculous Weather Underground stuff.

by brimur 2008-04-16 08:06PM | 0 recs
Where have they pushed it on the media?

The only actual pushing the might have done would have concerned conversations with supers that were leaked or whispered to the media.  I haven't seen one Clinton release that pressed an Obama personal issue or conflict.  I have seen countless releases from the Obama campaign.  Again, I find it revolting.

by linc 2008-04-16 08:12PM | 0 recs
Re: Where have they pushed it on the media?

Uhh...

You haven't seen one Clinton release that pushed a personal Obama issue.

Do I really need to go get the list? Wright? Rezko? "Bitter"? I can go research the campaign press releases, if you'd like definite proof Clinton's happily engaged in this.

by ragekage 2008-04-16 08:42PM | 0 recs
Re: Where have they pushed it on the media?

They have released plenty of material attacking Obama's character and addressing "personal issues or conflicts":

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=6311

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=6454

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=7107

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=7076

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=6752

These are all recent press releases.  I could go on but the point is not to engage in "he said/she said" but to point out that what limited attacks Obama has levelled are at least equalled (if not exceeded) by Hillary's.  This highlights the dangerousness of continuing a primary where the candidates are near twins on the issues and can only resort to personal attacks to try to score points against one another.

by DreamsOfABlueNation 2008-04-16 09:07PM | 0 recs
I was wrong

I am still bent out of shape of Obama pushing 'Hillary is a racist'.  Don't think I will ever forgive him for that one.

by linc 2008-04-17 07:21AM | 0 recs
Re: "I was wrong"

"I was wrong"

You get Mojo for that, you just proved you aren't a troll. (just wrong, and that is your right ;-)

But I would like citation for Obama calling Clinton a racist. I've watched/read a lot of stuff, and at every turn he has refused to call anyone a racist.

-chris

by chrisblask 2008-04-17 08:20AM | 0 recs
Citation
the Clinton is a racist meme/release/memo.


That memo is one of the reasons I became a strong Clinton supporter- that and the sexism from the MSM and so called progressives.
by linc 2008-04-17 09:58AM | 0 recs
Racism v. Sexism

I appreciate your openness to new facts.  As to the racist charges, I am quite sure that Obama never overtly called Clinton a racist.  I agree that there may have been some vague insinuations coming from some of Obama's supporters to this effect before the SC primary.  However, Hillary has insinuated that Obama and his supporters are sexist just as overtly, if not more so, than Obama's camaign has implied she is a racist.

For instance:

"Democrat Hillary Clinton urged women voters on Thursday to rally behind her campaign against 'the BOYS CLUB of presidential politics' two days after male rivals attacked her repeatedly at a debate."

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/ 0,,2-10-1462_2213733,00.html

Again the point is not to say that Hillary is evil, I think she is a good Democrat (I just like Obama more).  The point is that whatever ill will you have towards Obama's campaign for potentially insinuating that Clinton was racially insensitive should be tempered with the knowledge that Hillary has used similar tactics of gender division in her own campaign.

by DreamsOfABlueNation 2008-04-17 09:36AM | 0 recs
Obama camp officially pushed
the Clinton is a racist meme.


That memo is one of the reasons I became a strong Clinton supporter- that and the sexism from the MSM and so called progressives.
by linc 2008-04-17 09:57AM | 0 recs
Re: Obama camp officially pushed

OK fair enough, someone on Obama's staff drafted up a memo pointing out aspects of Hillary's campaign that could be construed as racist.  This memo may or may not have been approved or known about by Obama himself.  This is at least as low a form of politics as Hillary personally pointing out aspects of Obama's campaign that could be seen as sexist, though, wouldn't you agree?

by DreamsOfABlueNation 2008-04-17 01:53PM | 0 recs
This started the real tit for tat

and it was authored by his South Carolina campaign manager after NH and right before SC- not just body in the campaign.  

by linc 2008-04-17 03:29PM | 0 recs
Campaign Manager?

I think you may be mistaken about who authored the memo.  The sources to which your above citation link characterize the author as a "press aide"--which sounds like a lot lowlier a position than "campaign manager":

"Clinton aides seized on reports that an Obama PRESS AIDE, in response to a research query from a prominent activist, included remarks by the Clintons in a compilation of racially insensitive remarks."  

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/arch ives/2008/01/obama_clinton_and_racial_po lit.php

Do you have any evidence that this source is incorrect?

by DreamsOfABlueNation 2008-04-17 04:33PM | 0 recs
You must be really desperate

to be saying that since it is so inane.  I actually feel sorry for those of you who are still trying to operate as trolls.

by macmcd 2008-04-16 08:17PM | 0 recs
Re: You must be really desperate

We're glad you have empathy for us. It makes me know you'll be there with us in Denver to see Senator Obama nominated.

by ragekage 2008-04-16 08:38PM | 0 recs
Re: You must be really desperate

...and that will be the height of his power.

There is no way this liar should be the president, and I will do whatever in my power to keep him from being elected.

VOTE NADER 08 IF HILLARY IS BEATEN

by switching sides 2008-04-17 12:04AM | 0 recs
Ah, Nader.

That figures.  This is a blog about electing Democrats.  Nader whiners are not invited.

by ReillyDiefenbach 2008-04-17 01:57AM | 0 recs
Re: Ah, Nader.

You're welcome to go back to KOS anytime, troll.

by switching sides 2008-04-17 04:54AM | 0 recs
Re: Ah, Nader.

Actually, this site is named direct democracy and you are pushing a non-democratic candidate over a possible democratic nominee.  By definition you are the troll.

by shalca 2008-04-17 06:34AM | 0 recs
Notice how I'm not troll rating you

I'm sure Ralph will welcome you with open arms.  At his blog.

by ReillyDiefenbach 2008-04-17 09:36AM | 0 recs
Re: You must be really desperate

That's really interesting. This is a serious question- what about what I said made it troll-like to you? Even if you vehemently disagree with my argument how does that make me a troll? Do we come here because we all agree or because we want to air opposing viewpoints?

by brimur 2008-04-16 09:01PM | 0 recs
Re: The Obama campaign

   You would honestly believe a rumor that Obama shot someone to get crack money. Your hatred of him has absolutely no merit.
by southernman 2008-04-16 10:41PM | 0 recs
Yes, it's total hypocrisy. He keeps claiming

that these sorts of "distractions" are what he has been campaigning against, or as he never lets us forget, he brings to us a "new kind of politics." But as I've said for a very long time now, a "new kind of politics" is really just the same old politics, but with a gift for gab. He cannot have it both ways.

by Rumarhazzit 2008-04-16 08:06PM | 0 recs
Re: Yes, it's total hypocrisy. He keeps claiming

So since Clinton doesn't even try to hold a higher standard she gets kudos? He def. pulled a punch tonight when he had the opportunity to hit her on the Bosnia stuff after she basically admitted she lied on multiple occasions. He let her off the hook completely. My jaw was on the floor.

by brimur 2008-04-16 08:09PM | 0 recs
You poor thing.

He was really pitiful.  I don't know how much you are getting paid to do this but I wouldn't stoop to it for any amount of money.

by macmcd 2008-04-16 08:19PM | 0 recs
Re: You poor thing.

You're one to talk, my friend. Don't you troll/hide rate anyone you disagree with? I think, if I remember right, per the site statistics you are the top 3rd or 4th user of the troll-rate function.

by ragekage 2008-04-16 08:36PM | 0 recs
Re: You poor thing.

It's hilarious, I get your schtick now. You can't actually make an argument so you resort to saying some defensive insult. Come on man, defend your candidate.

by brimur 2008-04-16 09:05PM | 0 recs
Its not hypocrisy. Its "change"!

by cjbardy 2008-04-16 08:38PM | 0 recs
Mistakes don't matter, right?

Isn't that what BO said during the debate?  If the candidates "misspeak," the media and other candidates should just ignore it.  Funny how that argument materialized when Obama started "misspeaking."

by psychodrew 2008-04-16 08:27PM | 0 recs
Hillary didn't misspeak


   she lied. She simply made up a story that didn't happen. That's not misspeaking! Not to mention that it was hardly one time. She told that story several times.

  Quit calling it a misspeak. When you make something up that never happened, it's a lie.

by southernman 2008-04-16 10:39PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only

by ragekage 2008-04-16 08:35PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bos
I subscribed to Obama's mailing list back in February of 2007 and I have never, not once, received an email from him or his staff personally attacking Clinton. I looked through the many emails I have received over the last 14 months, and what I see is a pattern of Obama defending himself against what's been dished out at him. Here is an example of a typical message--which Obama's campaign has stuck to from the beginning:
The latest Iowa poll, from the Des Moines Register, shows Barack Obama has pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton and is now leading there. We even lead among women by five points.

While that's all good news, there was even more telling news this weekend.

The poll also showed that -- by a wide margin -- Iowans have found that Senator Clinton is running the most negative campaign of any candidate.

And sure enough, less than 12 hours after the poll results were released, the Clinton campaign launched multiple frantic, baseless attacks against Barack Obama. The emerging pattern is disturbing: as Senator Clinton's poll numbers slide, the campaign of "inevitability" becomes more desperate and negative by the day.

It's exactly one month until the Iowa caucuses, and Senator Clinton has promised that this is just the beginning of her negativity. She even quipped yesterday that attacking other Democrats is "the fun part" of campaigning for the presidency.

Barack will always respond swiftly and forcefully with the truth when attacked, but we have to do more to stop this kind of politics once and for all.

These attacks take attention away from solving people's problems and exact a real cost on our political process.

We need to respond by increasing the cost of these tactics for her campaign.

If 10,000 people donate in the next 48 hours in response, it will show our opponents that when they attack Barack Obama, it literally makes our campaign stronger.

You can make them think twice about continuing these attacks. Respond now with your donation of $25: https://donate.barackobama.com/costofneg ativity

Here's a quick rundown of her campaign's attacks from yesterday alone:

- They falsely claimed that Barack Obama doesn't support universal health care, even though he's had a detailed plan for it since May that would provide affordable health insurance for every single American and do more to cut the cost of health care than any other plan in this race.

- They attacked our youth organizing efforts and tried to intimidate Iowa college students who plan to participate in the caucus (the latest Iowa poll shows Obama with a commanding lead among young people).

- They even published an article on their website attacking Barack for telling his kindergarten teacher he wanted to be president when he grew up. (I'm not kidding.)

Senator Clinton and her campaign may find it fun, but this kind of disingenuous attack politics is exactly what turns people off about our political process.

You can set the tone for the next 30 days. Will you respond to these attacks with a donation of $25 right now?

https://donate.barackobama.com/costofneg ativity

While Barack continues to talk about real problems like the war in Iraq, the tens of millions of uninsured, and the need for fundamental change in Washington, Senator Clinton's personal attacks come from the same, tired textbook of establishment politics.

These attacks are borne out of cynical political calculation, plain and simple.

But if 10,000 people respond to these attacks on Barack in the next 48 hours, we can change the math for them.

Thank you,

David

David Plouffe

Campaign Manager

Obama for America

P.S. -- If you're curious about why our campaign is continuing to build momentum in Iowa, check out this short film we put together for our supporters there:

https://donate.barackobama.com/iowasuppo rtervideo

by grasshopper 2008-04-16 09:46PM | 0 recs
Obama has said


    multiple times...that he'd let the Clintons talk about and answer questions about Bosnia.

   What more do you want?

by southernman 2008-04-16 10:38PM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims His Campaign Only Talks About Bos

I can't believe you guys are feigning indignation about some memos while giving Hillary a pass on the Ayers thing.

by mikeinsf 2008-04-16 11:18PM | 0 recs
I didn't know writing was talking!?!

by dystopianfuturetoday 2008-04-17 12:04AM | 0 recs
the whining from o'cultist goes on but

yes obama answered and looky weasely on that, yeah, ok dude just because you personally did not slime her constantly, everybody in your campaign did, out of mass hysteria or something

quit trying to be so perfect all the time, its ok obama, let yourself shine

by blackflag 2008-04-17 01:54AM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims

I'm so glad you put this information out there. Obama lies with impunity most of the time. It is staggering how he looks right at the camera and  comes out with another whopper.

by linfar 2008-04-17 07:17AM | 0 recs
Re: Obama Claims

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZXbtwq8atkw& ;hl=en


Dear Mr. Morgan,

Thank you for providing a forum that is generating such meaningful discussion on the topic of Senator Clinton's "valor theft." I am particularly impressed with the letter sent to you by Bosnia veteran, Tammi K. Hetherington, a former specialist with the 22nd Signal Brigade, 1st Armored Division, United States Army. I commend Tammi for her service to the nation - service that continues in her courageous willingness to speak truth to power. I commanded thousands of fine soldiers during my almost four decades of active and reserve service, and I would have been honored to have had Tammi among them.

Before I go on, I want to correct misreporting about my service as a Guardsman and as an Army major general in Europe. I was never "leader" or "commander" of the Pennsylvania National Guard because that authority belongs to the Adjutant General. I did hold the same military rank as an adjutant general - major general - but did so as commander, 28th Infantry Division, and as the deputy commander of the State Area Readiness Command (figure that one out). In Europe, my service was at Headquarters, United States European Command (HQUSEUCOM), not at the Army command (USAREUR). EUCOM is the superior headquarters and USAREUR reported to us.

I know this minutia seems irrelevant, but in the military accurate representation of titles and performance are at the core of ethics. This is why fabrication of service or battle credentials - what we call "valor theft" - is so offensive to service members and veterans (or should be). Be you soldier or civilian, if you didn't "earn it" in service to your country, for shame that you might be wearing it or talking about it - and it is equally shameful for those who have served with honor to defend the dishonor of others. Valor theft degrades every service member and veteran, and, as a point of honor, I call on the former admirals, generals, and service veterans who are publicly in support of Senator Clinton to renounce that support. Continue it, and her dishonor is your dishonor.

I proudly acknowledge that I changed voter registration so I could vote for Senator Obama in Pennsylvania's presidential primary. With 4000 dead in the supra-strategic national tragedy that is Iraq I could not but do otherwise. As a leader of soldiers I had one rule for advocating others to higher rank: would I want that person commanding my children in combat. For me, Senator Obama - a rational thinker not dumbed-down by "years in Washington" - is the person for elevation to commander-in-chief. And as to Senator Clinton, were she a sergeant seeking promotion, her known fabrication of battle facts would disqualify her. I have been under fire many times, so much so that the incidents run together, but you can bet I remember the first time.

And let me put to rest the security situation at the Tuzla Airport during the March 1996 FLOTUS (first lady of the United States) visit. In the video clip, as she bends to caress the small girl, movement among those behind her reveals a stocky officer wearing four stars on a fatigue cap. I am certain that officer is Admiral "Snuffy" Smith, the senior commander of forces in the Bosnia operation. But Admiral Smith or no, top ranking officers in a war zone don't wear soft caps unless the security situation warrants it.

Senator Clinton's recollection of being under fire at Tuzla is an unarguable fabrication - a reprehensible act of valor theft, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Sincerely,

Major General (Retired) Walter L. Stewart, Jr.
Former commander, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Former Director for Reserve Affairs (ECRA), HQUSEUCOM, Stuttgart, Germany

Ps. Tammi, this one is for you, and for all those who served with you.


by chrisblask 2008-04-17 12:15PM | 0 recs
Hey, if this diary wasn't asking the question

I don't know what is...

by chrisblask 2008-04-17 12:20PM | 0 recs
Here's a Positive:

http://www.huntersandshooters.com/index. php

AHSA Endorses Obama  
Obama: He "gets it"

Today, as President of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), I announced our endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.   Because the gun issue has recently become a factor in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, I want to share the remarks I made today:

As a gun rights organization we have not come to this decision lightly.  We were formed two years ago because our research shows that millions of gun owners wanted a change.  They not only wanted an organization that would protect their gun rights but an organization that was also committed to the protection of their communities as well as the protection of our lands. We reached out to the Obama campaign several weeks ago to offer our support and approval as was reported by Paul Bedard of US News and World Report. We believe recent attacks on Senator Obama's stand on the 2nd Amendment and his commitment to our hunting and shooting heritage are unfair and American Hunters and Shooters Association is stepping up to set the record straight.

Senator Obama has clearly demonstrated his commitment to the 2nd Amendment by his vote in support of the Vitter amendment to HR 5441, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill of 2007.  This amendment prevents the Government from confiscating guns in a time of crisis or emergency. Imagine how the citizens felt during Hurricane Katrina when government agents kicked in doors to confiscate law abiding citizens' guns at a time when they needed them the most.  We know Senator Obama "gets it."  To say that he is an elitist is patently ridiculous. To hunters and shooters everywhere, Senator Obama's vote demonstrated a fundamental understanding of the meaning of the 2nd Amendment which means he recognizes the individual right of all citizens to keep and bear arms.  Senator Clinton, on the hand, failed to grasp the importance of this critical issue to hunters and shooters and voted against this Amendment.  She turned her back on America's gun owners. In addition, Senator Obama's commitment to conservation and protection of our natural resources and access to public lands demonstrates to us his commitment to America's hunting and shooting heritage. Senator Obama will be a strong and authentic voice for America's hunters and shooters and it is with great pleasure that we endorse his candidacy.

Ray Schoenke
Wednesday, April 16, 2008

by chrisblask 2008-04-17 09:11AM | 0 recs

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