Clinton attacks Obama's character

[ariesgem]

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – At a news conference here just now, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton expanded her attacks on Senator Barack Obama by suggesting that he has a character issue because of his assertions that his health insurance plan covers all Americans (which she disputes) and because his old political action committee spread around money in early presidential nominating states.

Asked if Mr. Obama had a character problem, Mrs. Clinton first said it was up for voters to determine, but then added:

“It’s beginning to look a lot like that – it really is, where we can’t get a straight answer on health care, where somebody runs on ethics and not taking money from certain people is found to have at least skirted if not violated F.E.C. rules and to use lobbyists and Pac money to do so. You’re going to have ask the Obama campaign, but I have said for months that I would much rather be attacking Republicans and attacking problems of our country because ultimately that’s what I want to do as president.

“But I have been for months on the receiving end of rather consistent attacks – well now the fun part starts,” Mrs. Clinton said, punctuating the word “fun.” “We’re into the last month, and we’re going to start drawing the contrasts, because I want every Iowans to have accurate information when they make their decisions.”

snip..................

“I think that folks from some of the other campaigns are reading the polls and starting to get stressed and issuing a whole range of outlandish accusations,” Obama said at a Des Moines news conference.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/an-attack-from-the-candidates-mouth/

[BeyondGeography]

1. Good luck with that

[ixion]

2. because, you know, Hillary's character is so great

:eyes:

[drbob99]

3. Wow. Hillary is not taking the dethroning very well.

[bunnies]

4. Got Mud? nt

[AtomicKitten]

5. * snort *

:spray:

[Evergreen Emerald]

6. Ouch! Go Clinton.

She has stopped taking crap from this guy.

[BeyondGeography]

7. She has started losing is more like it

[ilovesunshine]

12. It worked for Obama, now it's her turn to play!

Go Hillary!

[emilyg]

8. About time.

[DemKR]

11. you go girl

[journalist3072]

10. Exactly! I'm glad she's telling it like it is, when it comes to Obama. She's absolutely correct.

[Nedsdag]

69. HILLARY CAN DISH IT BUT SHE CAN'T TAKE IT!!!!!!!!!

SHE'S DROWNING IN HER OWN "INEVITABILITY!"

[Evergreen Emerald]

106. No. That is the media's inevitability

I sure wish people were not ready this race so superficially. The media is playing you if you think that she is the one talking about inevitability.

[Windy]

27. resorting to dirty politics... She will play dirty mark my words. it will get worse

the further she falls in the polls, the more the rovianesque tactics will come into play. She will not go quietly.

Obama and Edwards have to continue to fight. all she is proving by these antics is that she is the "old school" type of politician that came to the fore in the last decade. I really don't think the electorate will stand for it.

[emilyg]

43. It was Edwards who started the mud - then Obama joined it. Let's be fair.

[Colobo]

33. Obama > Clinton when it comes to character.

She will lose that debate.

[oasis]

120. It's ass kickin' time.

:kick:

[sufrommich]

9. It's called "fighting back".

They all do it.

[jenmito]

39. What happened to "staying above the fray"? I guess she can't afford to do that any longer.

:D

[sufrommich]

42. Here's your answer,right in the OP....

"I have said for months that I would much rather be attacking Republicans and attacking problems of our country because ultimately that’s what I want to do as president.

“But I have been for months on the receiving end of rather consistent attacks – well now the fun part starts,” Mrs. Clinton said"

[jenmito]

51. Obama never attacked Hillary's character. If Hillary wants to do that and considers it "fun," good

luck with THAT. People already see her as cold. This ain't gonna help.

[sufrommich]

63. Obama attacked Clintons character when he jumped in

the sandbox with right wing smear meister/Bush henchman Robert Novak.

[jenmito]

68. No he didn't. He simply asked her to put out there anything she MAY have.

Novak is evil, but he DOES get lots of info. from "sources."

[sufrommich]

71. Perhaps he should have called Novak on the

carpet for spreading innuendo .Instead he chose to accuse another Dem of dirty tricks without a shred of proof and on the word of a known Bushbot liar.He used Novak to attack Clinton.

[jenmito]

78. The point is that

he wanted to give Hillary the chance to deny Novak's claims. Obama didn't use Novak. He dealt with what was put upon him. He didn't start anything. He didn't attack Hillary's character like she just did to him.

[sufrommich]

82. Bull. If he wanted to "give Hillary a chance to deny

Novaks claims" he wouldn't have called a press conference to do it.The intention was to hint that she was floating nasty rumors,without a shred of proof.

[jenmito]

89. THAT'S bull.

Of course he didn't HAVE to. But he did. He has to show he's not going to take ANYTHING sitting down. Hillary very well COULD have leaked out some info. about Obama.

[Armstead]

58. Duh. What did she expect her competitors to do? Endorse her candidacy?

[drbob99]

13. If Hillary rachets up the attacks on Obama, it will backfire....

because this will remind voters of her biggest negatives. Her best tactic might be to unleash Bill and let him have an affair with some campaign worker and leak it to the press then she might get some sympathy votes.

[sufrommich]

14. Enjoy your stay.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

15. welcome to DU, and thanks for the infantile post!

[drbob99]

21. you have a problem with me pointing out that her attacks might backfire?

or maybe it was the other statement? Sorry about that. Will try not to offend the Queen her escort anymore.

[jefferson_dem]

26. Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[drbob99]

31. True. She has played her best hand up to this point and she has no trump cards left.. except go neg.

[drbob99]

37. Thanks.

I have been a lurker for some time. I do like the rapid style format this board has. But I do miss the wacko but often provocative Repubs that you find on some of the other boards.

[ClarkUSA]

36. Yes, it will because Iowans detest this sort of hypocritical attack politics

I can't wait for the next Iowa poll. Hillary's been attacking Obama for weeks now and it's only turning likely caucus goers towards Obama and Edwards.

[drbob99]

48. I suspect Hillary will be in 3rd place behind Obama and Edwards.

and that will set off crisis alarms all over Clintonia. I shudder to think what will happen then!

[ClarkUSA]

57. You and me both.

I anticipate that after such an humiliating loss, Clintonia will let loose the Hounds of Hillaryworld unto the ends of the Earth (or at least New Hampshire and GDP).

But somehow I think we'll get through it. ;-)

[drbob99]

62. No doubt but watch your backside!

[ClarkUSA]

64. Thanks, drbob99. And a warm welcome to DU.

We'll watch each other's backs, okay? That's a good way to fight back against the nasty attacks that abound around here from a certain desperado quarter.

[drbob99]

66. Thanks. Good board.

[Evergreen Emerald]

67. Are these the mainstream of DU? Tell me it isn't so

[rufus dog]

72. I think 4th

If she does this every couple of days she is toast. Richardson or Biden will take 3rd.

[karynnj]

52. I doubt that would work

You don't vote for a victim out of sympathy as the President of the US. She would be thrown into territory we haven't yet seen. Would it be better to divorce him or keep him? Should she show hurt or not? Anger? Everything has a downside.

HRC is not my favorite, but I hope BC behaves himself until she is out of the race or out of office.

[drbob99]

59. I was joking of course but...

it has been reported that many sympathized with Hillary. Her approval numbers were there highest during Bill darkest days.

[SaveElmer]

16. SHe's right...

About time someone called out Obama on the falshoods he has been spewing...

[Colobo]

34. No, she's wrong, and Obama will fire back.

Remember, Elmer... he's in to WIN.

[SaveElmer]

40. He may be in it to win...but he has not been honest about his or Hillary's...

Healthcare plan...

[drbob99]

actully I think now that Obama is the "front runner" he's going back to taking the high road.

and cruise home to victory!

[BeyondGeography]

70. Actually, she's between Barack and a hard place

Fine. I stole it.

[rufus dog]

74. and I am going to steal it from you!

And since you said you stole it, I figure public domain and no credit for you!

[BeyondGeography]

77. Use it liberally, my friend

:toast:

[TeamJordan23]

17. Stupid political strategy by Hillary; this will just make her look worse.

The desperation is starting to show out of Hillary.

[ariesgem]

28. Exactly. Hillary will never win on the character issue.

She's opening up a can of worms.

[Karmadillo]

18. He's been attacking her character for weeks. She has to respond.

nt

[sufrommich]

19. Nooooooo! She should just be polite

and play nice. It just makes her look bad.:sarcasm:

[Cameron27]

110. She's had Edwards and Obama attacking her

simultaneously, she has to fight back.

[Connie_Corleone]

20. Go for it! Unleash the wrath of Hillary!!

keep on attacking Obama's character. Let it fly! LOL!!

[drbob99]

23. and watch her numbers drop even farther.

[Nedsdag]

73. Yes, here comes Hurricane Hillary.

By using the character card, she's playing RIIIIGHT into Obama's hands.

It's game she cannot win and it may work not only in Obama's favor but also Edwards' favor as he could finish ahead of her in second place.

[BeyondGeography]

75. It's a thing of beauty, Ned

This will be remembered as the weekend that was.

[Dawgs]

22. She thinks flat out lying is a good way to go? Wow!!

I think she's losing it.

[jefferson_dem]

24. Oh Gawd.

Hillary. Hillary. Hillary. ... Must you be so obvious in your seamy desperation?

[Hardrada]

25. She will unleash the Hillbots

and then long reign over us and bring terror to her foes. Hillary waives the rules!

[madrchsod]

29. what`s the problem hillary?

"but I have said for months that I would much rather be attacking Republicans and attacking problems of our country because ultimately that’s what I want to do as president." well why do`t you do that instead of worrying about what obama is doing? so why do`t you run against the republicans?.....

[roesch]

32. Little characters

For a Clinton to question "Character' is like the pot calling the kettle black, or in this case Barack. Another reason I am for Biden-- someone with real character.

[Tellurian]

49. Basically, Hillary has called Obama out as a LIAR and intends to prove it in blk and white..

YOU GO GIRL! Enough IS Enough!

Kick his *ASS* all the way back to Illinois!

[GreenArrow]

30. she'd probably been best leaving that alone

but her two top challengers, especially Edwards, have been doing it to her, so I guess she couldn't resist.

[madrchsod]

35. temptation..........

"she felt the temptation and her will power weakened"

[GreenArrow]

60. "The only way to get rid of a temptation

is to yield to it."

(Oscar Wilde)

[jaysunb]

38. I love the smell of desparation ....

:evilfrown:

[EV_Ares]

41. Whoa, I really don't think she wants to get into the mess of character

issues. That is always something that will come around and bite you bigtime. I can hear all the networks now if they get into character issues, something the networks especially Fox would love.

However, she has probably sent the Obama campaign a huge increase in confidence smelling the desperation of Hillary. Isn't this something she herself said sometime ago she was not going to get into, not the kind of a campaign she was going to run. However, that was when she thought she would be crowned by the dems.

[jenmito]

45. I agree. And Obama never questioned her character like she's now doing to him.

If anyone attacked Hillary's character, it was Edwards-not Obama. People won't like this.

[EV_Ares]

56. It is really stupid on her part because it will be a no-win for anyone

expecially her.

[jenmito]

65. Exactly. And where are all her supporters who claimed anyone who "attacked" Hillary was helping the

GOP? Hmmm...they suddenly endorse this type of behavior.

[TwilightGardener]

88. Yes...where's Bill Richardson? Paging Bill Richardson!

[jenmito]

91. Hahahaha!!! Good question!

:rofl: :hi:

[TwilightGardener]

92. Too busy Veep-groveling, perhaps?

:hi:

[jenmito]

95. I'm sure. That MUST be it...

Have you seen the SNL skit with Hillary hosting the Haloween party? :D

[TwilightGardener]

98. Yes--that was damn good!

[jenmito]

101. It sure was. And they repeated that episode the weekend after the CNN debate

where Hillary got the royal preferential treatment.

[Tellurian]

97. Exactly, The Obama/Edwards Tag Team..

what..hasn't anyone been watching the Parasitic Twins in action, playing "Good Cop/Bad Cop"?

:rofl:

[jenmito]

103. So you just called Obama a "good cop." Yet Hillary's attacking him.

And you just agreed with me that Obama never attacked Hillary's character. Thanks. :hi: You really think Obama was working with Edwards? :rofl: Just shows how desperate she is, knowing she'll be nothing but 60 in a few months. :rofl:

[Tellurian]

107. So,You are afflicted with selective comprehension as well..

No, I have never agreed with you, jenmito.

No, I didn't agree with you Obama never attacked Hillary.

Yes, of course, Obama and Edwards are a Tag Team..

One out of 3 statements you tested as correct.

That gives you a 33.3% out of a possible 100% for (cognizant) reading comprehension.

Maybe, you'll do better next time..

[jenmito]

111. Nope. You said, "Exactly" to my post that said Obama never attacked Hillary's character

and IF anyone DID, that was Edwards. I never said they worked together as a tag team. Why in the world would Obama work with Edwards? Obama wants to BEAT Edwards..not work WITH him. I'll tell you who's a tag team: Hillary and Richardson, since he wants to be her VP. I can't do better than the 100% I did this time. :hi:

[Cameron27]

112. Edwards and Obama didn't have to be in

collusion to tag team her, they both benefited from each others attacks.

[jenmito]

113. Obama didn't attack her. And I don't see how Edwards benefitted from anything.

It seems like people didn't LIKE what he was doing.

[Tellurian]

114. Reread my original post..

The keyword is "play" taken as a metaphor.. It's a common euphemism used to describe certain behaviors of operatives who appear to be on opposing teams when essentially, they are on the same team and their intent is to dupe the "victim" or their audience into a desired result.

[jenmito]

117. No. You replied to my post saying Obama never attacked Hillary's character....

and if anyone DID, it was Edwards. Obama didn't play any games with Edwards against Hillary. They never played off each other. They're not on the same team. Edwards went after Hillary aggressively. Obama didn't. Period.

[Tellurian]

123. Exactly the example of the "Good Cop, Bad Cop" ploy. thanks!

"Edwards went after Hillary aggressively. Obama didn't."

[jenmito]

127. No it's not.

It's an example of one candidate aggressively attacking another. Period. Sorry you think everything's a tag team. This isn't the FIRST time you've been wrong about that term. :hi:

[ClarkUSA]

44. Obama's Response (earlier today) to Hillary Campaigns attack on PAC

In a press avail in Iowa today, Obama responded, “I think that folks from some of the other campaigns are reading the polls and starting to get stressed and issuing a whole range of outlandish accusations. Everything that we have done is in exact accordance with the law and unless they can show that it hasn’t been. I suggest that they focus on trying to get their supporters to caucus in Iowa.” Obama also said this about the PAC: “I had not been planning to run for president… So by the time we announced that I was running, there was still money left over, which we used to contribute to candidates all across the country to help build a Democratic majority. That was the purpose of it… That is the purpose of all these leadership funds. That is the reason Clinton’s leadership fund was set up — the same reason why multiple candidates have these leadership funds. We just simply didn’t have the ability to get all that money out. And I would point out that we have made contributions to many people who are endorsing Sen. Clinton instead of me. Again, I think what people need to focus on is that all these accusations that are starting to come out seem to correspond to shifts in political fortune.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3784071&mesg_id=3784071

h/t TeamJordan23

[Tellurian]

54. blah, blah, blah blah, blah...The Obama Truth meter just blew up!.

[Maven]

109. Obama the bigot-panderer fights back on character.

:eyes:

[sandnsea]

46. She's digging her own grave

She's been wrong every time she's attacked Obama - and she's wrong now. People aren't as stupid as she thinks they are. Bush has given this country a whole new education on political sliming and they can smell it ten miles away now.

Hillary would do well to find a couple of issues and just flat tell the truth about what she believes.

[frazzled]

47. Of course his policy covers all Americans

It requires that insurance be offered to everybody--no exclusions for preexisting conditions. And a public, affordable (or government subsidized) policy will be available to all.

I don't understand why she says it doesn't cover everyone. Both of their plans "cover" everyone. The only difference is that individuals will be required by law to purchase a Hillary plan, whereas Obama's will be more like Medicare Part B: you can choose it, and most everybody does, if it is affordable enough. (My understanding is that his plan forces employers to offer insurance, and if it isn't good enough insurance or if they don't pay enough, they will be charged a fee and their employees wil be put on the public plan.) But everyone is covered. So, where's the character issue?

Reqioring people to buy insurance is not the same issue as covering them.

[ClarkUSA]

83. Excellent summation of Obama's healthcare plan, frazzled.

Too bad Clinton is not interested in an honest discussion of the issues.

[rufus dog]

50. Exactly as expected

And Obama's response is exactly right, dismissive. Hillary will sink like a 45 pound weight. She can not win a debate on character with Obama. It will only highlight her weaknesses. This will drop her to 4th in the Iowa caucus which makes it much harder to recover. The only thing Team Obama is waiting for is a snarky dismissive response from Clinton that will be played over and over again. You see, Obama can be dismissive, Hillary can't because of her history.

[madrchsod]

53. the comments on the blog are very interesting....

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/h/patrick_d_healy/index.html
Patrick Healy - The New York Times

he must be on the campaign trail with clinton....

[Armstead]

55. "I did not throw mud at any other candidate."

She's definetly been learning from her husband in assuming people have short memories.

[EV_Ares]

61. Yeah, will this will come around and bite her bigtime if whe wants

to get into a character war.

[hedgehog]

76. WOW - that must have been a hell of a poll to get Senator Clinton

so riled up!


There's been a lot of debate back and forth since summer as to what each particular poll means. Going by the reaction of the Clinton campaign, I'd say something is happening in Iowa!

[rufus dog]

80. I believe it is called an implosion

:nuke:

Seriously I am shocked she did this. It shows a complete lack of patience. She had the hostage situation on Friday that could get her some sympathy. Then she follows up with an answer by questioning someones character. If she did this in the GE it would be game over - another four years of Repub rule. Ass hat hannity and rush would be all over it for months!

[Tellurian]

100. No, Watch and Learn!

[rufus dog]

102. No

It's an implosion!

[dieselrevolver]

79. Gobama!

These next 5 weeks are gonna get ugly. Obama has finally pulled ahead and the Clinton campaign is getting desperate.

[ClarkUSA]

122. A warm welcome to DU, dieselrevolver.

And you are absolutely right.

[Beacool]

81. Wellllllll, tit for tat.......

Isn't it what Obama and Edwards (particularly Edwards) have been doing to her for weeks?

I guess questioning the veracity of her assertion that the White House papers are not hers to release is it not implying that she's a liar? How about the veiled criticism of the Clinton administration and also the 60s generation. BTW, that comment about the 60s was particularly insulting since if it wasn't for the civil rights movement HE would not now be able to be running for president.

P.S. I saw the C-Span series on the Presidential libraries and Clinton's was the last one in the series. The historian co-host and the library's curator & archivist all agreed that once a president leaves the White House all documents of his administration are in the hands of the National Archives and it's up to them to release them. A former president can request that the release of the papers be sped up, but that's all he can do about it.

[hedgehog]

94. Actually, President Clinton implied this week he does have some control

over the papers;

Former President Bill Clinton told C-SPAN this week that he believes the long-inaccessible first lady schedules of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) will be released in January —- in the heat of the first presidential nomination contests. “I want to push the release of more, including the request for documents about Hillary’s time in the White House,” Clinton told C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb. “They’ll show how hard she worked on a wide variety of issues, and what she did in her travels around the world to advance America’s cause. So I’d like it if the records got out there.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3084218

Nor is it the first time that Clinton papaers have abruptly appeared after somehow being not available:


After nearly two years of searches and subpoenas, the White House said this evening that it had unexpectedly discovered copies of missing documents from Hillary Rodham Clinton's law firm that describe her work for a failing savings and loan association in the 1980's.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE4D81239F935A35752C0A960958260

As I recall, once the Rose Law Firm papers were reviewed, there was nothing there. If they'd been "found" sooner, there would have been no story.

[Beacool]

96. He can only request that the archives

speed the process. The papers are NOT in his possession.

[hedgehog]

99. He says "push" you say "request"

you say to- may -to , I say to- mah-to

[TwilightGardener]

84. How Rovian--attack Obama's perceived strength (his wonderful character).

Don't think it will work, but...good luck with that.

[rufus dog]

86. She is a Democrat not a Republican

And people truly are wired different in the two parties. What works for the Repukes won't work for Democrats.

[TwilightGardener]

87. Yep--Dems aren't going to respond the same way. We don't like

character assaults as much as bloodthirsty nasty GOPers do.

[ClarkUSA]

121. Very perceptive deduction.

Obviously, being a former Goldwater Republican and presently a DLC DINO, Hillary doesn't know the difference anymore.

[bowens43]

85. Hillary the swift-boater.

Why doesn't this surprise me? How did she ever get to be a serious candidate?

[ClarkUSA]

90. Hillary launched a SECOND attack on Obama today, illustrating how desperate she's getting...

Whatever happened to the politics of not launching two mini-attacks on a Sunday?

Anyway, the second Clinton round hits Obama on something her campaign has criticized him for before — mocking her long ambition, while suggesting he's a reluctant, or accidental, candidate, and not just as ambitious as she is.

Clinton case here, concluding with this deadpan note: "In kindergarten, Sen. Obama wrote an essay titled 'I Want to Become President.'"

Obama spokesman Bill Burton responds: "I'm sure tomorrow they'll attack him for being a flip-flopper because he told his second grade teacher he wanted to be an astronaut."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3784071&mesg_id=3784281

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[rufus dog]

93. for someone who was said to have been running a flawless campaign

She sure is making some very basic mistakes. Highlighting character and ambition is not a good plan.

[ClarkUSA]

105. Hillaryworld is not used to serious competition from within the party thus they are flailing.

And this is after Bill's widely panned (except by certain DUers) attempt at revisionist history last week. How clueless can they be?

Yes, disparaging a six year old boy's wish to become president as an example of ambition gone awry is now Hillary's attack of last resort.

Hillaryous! I hope the Clintons keep up the two-point attacks... everytime they do, Obama's and Edwards' poll numbers seem to go up. :-)

[AtomicKitten]

104. She's on the defensive and I'm loving every minute of it.

Gobama.

[zulchzulu]

116. Ya gotta love it!

She punching at air at this point.

[AtomicKitten]

118. Z!

I am ecstatic. Did you see Meet the Press today? Dayum, our boy has some skills.

Cheers!

[BenDavid]

108. Obama good. HRC bad. HRC rumors true. Obama Facts false.

[zulchzulu]

115. The only real inevitability with Hillary now is that she is proving to be a mudslinger

It was just a matter of time before she showed us all what we have always suspected.

Like sand through the hour glass, so is the support for Hillary Clinton. And now she whines... aw... you're running out of Victim Cards, Hill...

[calteacherguy]

119. K&R. This shows the true Hillary Clinton!

And it ain't pretty.

[EV_Ares]

124. K&R here........... The media is saying what we were. If Hillary wants

to get into a character smear game, she is really playing a dangerous game. Also, this is showing the panic her campaign is in.

[Perry Logan]

125. "Obama is an insult to my dead mother. Obama is a scheming, duplicitous sociopath."

There you go.

I refitted a couple of anti-Hillary smears--just to show you what real character assassination is all about.

[rndmprsn]

126. more mud hillary?

can't have it both ways mrs clinton.