Another Obama smear memo(against President Clinton this time) intercepted by Clinton campaign

by lambiel, Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 01:05:59 PM EST

Obama is on a roll, another Obama smear memo has been intercepted by Clinton campaign. This time, Obama smeared President Clinton of giving a for-profit speech on 911. What makes this incident even worse is that this faked story appears being copied directly from Druge. TPM has the scoop.

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/ electioncentral/2007/jun/15/obama_campai gn_circulating_negative_story_about_bill _clinton


We've just obtained an email that shows that the Obama campaign yesterday circulated a negative, and ultimately false, story about Bill Clinton -- that he allegedly made money giving a speech on September 11, 2006.

This email is unusual in that it is flagging something potentially negative not about a primary rival but about the former President -- one who obviously isn't running in the Democratic primary and who remains popular with Dem primary voters.

The email, which was sent out by Jen Psaki of the Obama campaign and circulated to reporters (not us) on an off-the-record basis late yesterday


One of the things the email points to was the fact that Bill Clinton allegedly gave a for-profit speech on Sept. 11 -- something that presumably would be likely seen as controversial. Referring to the Hillary documents, the email flags this:

"9/11/06: Bill Clinton Commemorated 5th Anniversary Of 9/11 With $100,000 Speech To Asia-Pacific Private Equity Group in Hong Kong.

Hillary's financial disclosure report indicates that Bill Clinton gave a speech on 9/11/06 for CLSA, Ld. In Hong Kong and received $100,000. According to their website, "CLSA is a leading brokerage, investment banking and private equity group in the Asia-Pacific Markets."


The question seems even more pointed in light of the Obama campaign's spreading of bad stories about Bill.

Asked for comment on whether it was appropriate to spread negative stuff about Bill, given that he's not running in the primary and is popular with primary voters, Obama spokesman Bill Burton declined to directly address the question about Bill, instead saying: "I don't know why anyone would take umbrage with the circulation of publicly available information."

The story spread about Bill ultimately turned out to be false. It ended up on Drudge yesterday, where it was given heavy play for many hours, though there's no proof that it was given to Drudge by the Obama campaign. After Drudge posted it, The Observer's Politicker blog thoroughly debunked the story, pointing out that Bill's schedule proved that he'd actually given the speech the night before, on Sept. 10.

So much for a "new kind of politics".




Tags: Obama Clinton (all tags)

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Head Games about Bill. (none / 0)

Very interesting. Surely no-one would object to the circulation of publically available information?  

Not that I mind Obama finally taking on Hillary, I think They are going to have to point out that Bill is part of her baggage, and nullify his rockstar popularity with the party as well.

How they'll do it?

Obama Girl

Create their own brand name.

There is another point that I have been mulling over. Bill Clinton should have been able to run in 2000. He was clearly the best candidate the party had. And he would have won. He would have massacred Bush. The Amendment that limits terms sucks. It deprives the nation of it's best leadership.  Let the electorate decide!

Maybe 2008 is the may to get him back in in som small way. Bill Clinton makes all these new candidates look like 'little' people.


by Rt hon McAdder esq KBE on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 01:25:11 PM EST

The hypocrisy is glaring. (none / 0)

Very interesting. Surely no-one would object to the circulation of publically available information?  

Not if it's wrong. I suppose because they're not journalists themselves, it's okay that they won't even check to make sure their accusations hold any water? I think it's slimey that the Obama campaign would go over her disclosure record just to find some trivial thing about what Bill Clinton did a year ago to try to attack Hillary's campaign anonymously.

1) It shows that that's how they're spending their time using campaign contributions from donors who were told Obama was going to bring a "new politics" to America.

2) It shows that the Obama campaign is happy to dish out blame and accusations like a back room dealing beltway politician but when it comes back to him, his campaign invariably complains that that kind of discussion doesn't further the dialogue.

From the New York Times (emphasis mine):

Shortly after the Clinton campaign released the financial information, the campaign of Senator Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat, circulated to news organizations -- on what it demanded be a not-for-attribution-basis -- a scathing analysis. It called Mrs. Clinton "Hillary Clinton (D-Punjab)" in its headline. The document referred to the investment in India and Mrs. Clinton's fund-raising efforts among Indian-Americans.

I hope he fires whoever signs off on this kind of bull.


While I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work ~ Barack Obama
by bowiegeek on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 06:29:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (none / 0)

I have no idea what the Obama strategy is but amateur smears against the Clinton team who has been doing this for some 35 years will not work. The Clintons have survived attacks from the best in the business and third rate stunts like this only further weaken Obama who already has been in decline in the polls.  


BlueSunbelt.Com Netroots for the Sunbelt states robwire.com My personal blog
by robliberal on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 01:38:18 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (2.66 / 3)

This diary is a smear against Obama. A Clinton supporter smearing Obama, what a surprise.


by vamonticello on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 01:39:44 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (none / 0)

Actually, this diary is the truth. Read The New York Times' coverage. Obama's campaign manager already admitted he was responsible for this. Please don't pretend what his campaign tried to do didn't happen. The best case scenario is that Obama fires whomever was responsible.


While I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work ~ Barack Obama
by bowiegeek on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 06:34:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Bill Clinton attacked Obama so he is fair game. (3.00 / 1)


by mdiogu on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 01:48:57 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (3.00 / 2)

I'd like to see proof that these come from the Campaign... You take an awful lot for granted in your nasty, poorly written smear diaries.


by yitbos96bb on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 02:20:48 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (3.00 / 1)

yitbos, with all due respect, this is not made-up stuff by the diarist but has been reported by Greg Sargent at TPMCafe, a respected blogger on a respected blog.  

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/ electioncentral/2007/jun/15/obama_campai gn_circulating_negative_story_about_bill _clinton

This is the update they had on this story:

Update: One quick clarification. The Obama people may well have thought the speech was given on 9/11, since it was identified that way in her disclosure documents. But The Observer debunked the story yesterday not long after it went up at Drudge, and to our knowledge the Obama people made no effort to retract what it had send out. Even so, the real material point here is the fact that the Obama campaign pushed a Drudge-friendly Clinton-gave-speech-on-9/11 storyline.

This (and the Punjay thing) is a very nasty track the Obama people feel they need to embark on.  Seems very desperate somehow.  


by georgep on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 03:46:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (none / 0)

It is true that Bill Clinton has been taking digs at Obama lately. First there was the whole 'there is always some new guy that comes around and excites people but then fizzles as voters choose the more solid candidate' - guess who that was aimed at. Then, he followed up by saying that he thought that Al Gore would enter if the Hillary oposition fumbled - ie if Obama fumbled. This is very subtle, but it is definitley an attack because what he is doing is planting two ideas: 1)Obama is just like Dean, Bradley, and others who have failed to win the nomination, so it's pointless to support him and 2)it's ok to withdraw support because then Al Gore will jump in and obviously everyone would prefer that.
The problem is that Al Gore most likely will not run, and that Bill Clinton's comments very clearly serve to undercut Obama's support. So, is it shocking that Obama fired back? Not to me. The only thing that bothers me is that his attack was so silly. I think it would have been much smarter to simply call out Bill on what he was trying to do in the first place, and leave 911 out of it. However, you could also say that inept attacks are further proof that attack politics are not Obama's focus.
by alipi on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 02:58:33 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (none / 0)

Clinton attacks like a skilled surgeon with the sharpest scalpel that leaves no scars. Obama responds like a revenge crazed butcher wielding a cleaver. Now, tell me who is more effective. Who would you admire most?


by superetendar on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 06:21:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bill Attacked Obama (none / 0)

I have zero problem going after the Clintons..They arent GOD, so all this non sense that Obama should should not say anything about the clintons are ridiculous...Bill have already taken some shots at Obama, so i  can see why he'll be fair games....

This democratic primary will be very nasty, and i want Obama to go after the Clintons..You have to fight them off because they will kill you if you're too nice.


by JaeHood on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 03:09:55 PM EST

Re: Bill Attacked Obama (none / 0)

I want him to go after Clintons as well. This will further reveal the absurdity of his 'new movement', 'new politics' candidacy.

Obama, the biggest fraud in recent democratic party history.


by lambiel on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 03:46:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bill Attacked Obama (none / 0)

You must not understand the idea of new politics.  

The idea is no more "My opponent rapes babies!" or "You are all going to die if you elect my opponent"

Pointing out flaws in policy is fair game.  Pointing out people who are being pushed by big-oil and big-pharma is alright because it gives you an idea of who elected them and what they will do in congress/wherever.  

As in your hit diary earlier about Obama criticizing Clinton for taking money from a company who ships jobs overseas.  AKA Big-Ship American jobs overseas is giving Clinton money.  (Probably because her husband is the one who signed NAFTA).  I think it's fair game.  If Obama takes money from lobbyists, you're not going to sit there and watch, you're going to call him out and criticize him for lying.  


by JeremiahTheMessiah on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 04:19:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bill Attacked Obama (none / 0)

Stupidity beyond my wild imagination.

CISCO, CISCO!


by lambiel on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 04:31:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bill Attacked Obama (none / 0)

Please feel free to ellaborate on that.  Again, that's the kind of thing that Obama preaches against in politics; unevidenced, ridiculous claims.

If I got something wrong, I skimmed your third diary (Third that I've seen) because I was at work, please feel free to correct me.  But again, saying "Stupidity beyond my wild imagination." Gets nobody anywhere, except it puts you on an elevator down.  Instead of confronting an issue and/or mistake, you divulge to making fun of me?  Lacks maturity for starters.  


by JeremiahTheMessiah on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 05:05:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bill Attacked Obama (none / 0)

What kind of fair-game flaw in policy did the Obama campaign point out with their anonymous memo?


While I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work ~ Barack Obama
by bowiegeek on Sat Jun 16, 2007 at 01:53:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Silly Obama, tricks are for kids (3.00 / 1)

They must have a lot of free time over at the Obama campaign and not using it very wisely, it seems.  Even if it was true, which it is not, I really don't see how it would hurt Hillary that much.  This is why Hillary should get the nomination- she is the one best suited to take on the Republican smear machine.  Someone like Obama, who can't even get his facts straight, will be easy pickings for them.  Hillary has been through the grind and knows how to fight it and would not set herself up for something like this.  The Obama campaign is too inexperienced, they are making amateur mistakes that Hillary would not make.  She is the only one capable of fighting them and winninig.


by reasonwarrior on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 05:25:39 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo(against President Cli (none / 0)

It looks like somebody's kid got a hold of the Obama headquarter computer and went wild with ridiculous junk.  

Obama comes off terrible here.


by georgep on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 06:42:59 PM EST

Re: Another Obama smear memo (none / 0)

The Clintons and their supporters are just SO desperate.  They just expected to waltz to the presidency and then Barack Obama showed up.  Instead of just trying to show America who the better candidate is, Clinton and her minions are trying to smear Obama because it's the only tactic that might work against him.  She knows she can't win on the issues so this is all she has left.  Pathetic.


by KISSman on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 06:19:13 AM EST


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