Wolfson: "I did not refer, I did not say, that Sen. Obama was like Ken Starr"

[sabra]

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/clinton_camp_backpedals_from_k.html

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — In the aftermath of the resignation of Samantha Powers, a top foreign affairs advisor to Sen. Barack Obama, for calling Sen. Hillary Clinton a “monster,” the Clinton team may also have tripped themselves up.

During a conference call with reporters, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson tried to explain his Thursday accusation that Obama’s campaign was using Ken Starr-like tactics against the New York senator was not comparable to Powers’ comments.

“Ours was a reaction to the Obama campaign’s attacks on Sen. Clinton post their losses in Ohio and Texas,” Wolfson said. “I did not refer, I did not say, that Sen. Obama was like Ken Starr and I think there is a difference between engaging in the kind of ad hominem personal attack on someone’s character that Samantha Power did and talking about the kind of campaign that Team Obama has been running since Ohio and Texas.”

But here is what Wolfson told reporters on the conference call yesterday:

"I for one do not believe that imitating Ken Starr is the way to win a Democratic primary election for president," Wolfson said

[anonymous171]

1. Needs to resign.

[papau]

14. imitating"-didn't sayObama imitating -and claims he meant Obama campaign imitating-to which I agree

[blogslut]

16. weasel words

look it up

[americanstranger]

23. Depends on what the meaning of 'imitating' is, eh?

Cripes.

He said what he said, and Clinton supporters don't see it. that seems to be a really big problem with you guys.

- as

[bvar22]

53. So, if Powers had said that Hillary was "like" a monster,

everything would be peachy in HillaryWorld?

[stray cat]

2. It depends on what the meaning of "is" is?

[City Lights]

9. Beat me to it!

Please, Howie, most of us aren't stupid enough to buy the shit you peddle.

[thewiseguy]

3. He needs to resign

Do not play with the words moron. We know what you said.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Lying weasel, running a campaign for a fellow liar. Can't wait to see

the quality folks she surrounds herself with in the WH.

[Window]

38. Hilly the Hypocrite and her 'camp pain' should just STFU!!!

The whole lot of them are a bunch of liars.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Heck of a job, Wolfie.

[Mz Pip]

6. What's the difference

between saying Obama is imitating Ken Starr and saying Obama is like Ken Starr?

Talk about parsing words. :eyes: What a piece of work.

[OhioBlue]

13. true, but it IS Clinton MO

[scheming daemons]

7. I don't WANT him to resign... he sucks at his job, and by staying there... he hurts HRC....

...

[lapfog_1]

18. But not as much as Mark Penn!!! - n/t

[Barack_America]

19. My thoughts EXACTLY! Lol.

I hope that her incompetent inner circle stays tight!

[Carolina]

41. me too

Let him stay and shoot himself in the foot some more. Let the world see how Hypocrillary is ready on day one with a team of lying, cheating, working both sides, incompetent shills

[anigbrowl]

52. Yep, it suits me just fine to have him representing Clinton

Remember, this is the guy who was demanding that Rick Lazio release his tax returns in 2000, and saying 'what's he got to hide!'.

[redqueen]

8. Spin, spin, lie, lie.

This is getting pretty old... her campaign is a sad joke.

[blogslut]

10. I take him at his word

He did not mean to imply that the Obama campaign was anything like Ken Starr, as far as I know.

[rodeodance]

25. good for you:-)

[VolcanoJen]

26. Ha!

I mean, honestly.

Good God, the Bushisms that are already coming out of the Clinton camp are nauseating. I cannot freaking take four more years of denials and lies.

[peoli]

11. Fuck off Wolfson!

[Hieronymus]

12. Wolfson was hired to be a Ken Starr/Rove for Hillary.

[lapfog_1]

15. Hillary's campaign being run by functional illiterates?

the word he was trying to use is "infer" not refer.

Jesus Christ.

And he DID infer that Obama was the new Ken Star. That's the meaning of imitate!

[cali]

17. That Hillary surrounds herself wih utter slime is

a big part of the problem I have with her.

[anigbrowl]

20. This from the guy who was demanding Rick Lazio's tax returns

with queries like 'What does he have to hide?' back in 2000. Turnabout is fair play.

[tabasco]

21. The lies start at the top in the Clinton campaign.

"I didn't have time to get that tax information and those White House records to the public."

Hillary lies on national tv to the American people just like hubby.

[americanstranger]

22. Wolfson's a punk.

Let the Clinton campaign do the consistent thing and dismiss him.

Samantha Power is now the metric. Wolfson should be shown the door, unless there is a big ol' double standard at work.

- as

[Yossariant]

24. The Ken Starr analogy was a smart move. Stirring it up is even smarter.

[dionysus]

31. so let's get this straight, you're endorsing hillary's GOP gutter tactics?

[Yossariant]

35. That characterization of Obama's Rovian strategy would get no argument from me.

Just so we're straight.

[dionysus]

36. its a yes or no question...

praising mccain, calling obama ken starr, these are RW tactics...

are you supporting RW tactics, yes or no?

[Hawkeye-X]

48. You know those people when confronted with an argument that they *know* they can't win

just simply ignore it and hopes it goes way. We gotta go after 'em with the same questions.

(or give you the end round)

WHERE ARE HILLARY'S TAX RETURNS?!

[nels25]

45. Okay we are straight

but when Filegate, and Travel gate start to show up (and remember those 2 had Saint Hillary fingerprints all over them) not to mention subpoenaed files showing up 18 months after they were asked for, then don't complain.

What goes around, comes around, and if one sows to wind they should not be surprised if they end up reaping a whirlwind.

You may think that Obama should not touch these subjects, hate to clue you in but the GOP will be only to glad to remind the overall public of the slimier side of the Clinton's and how they operate.

Do not forget that a very large percentage, of Joe and Jane citizen have a highly negative view of Hillary and the Clinton's overall.

She might be able to get some to vote for her, but I would wager they will hold their nose when they do so.

Then she gets to govern, oh goody won't that be fun, GOOD LUCK.

Better use her 2 years of Democratic majorities in both houses, because come the bi-election in 2010 you can kiss it goodbye.

:puke:

[JackORoses]

27. Wolfson needs to resign.

Someone needs to pass this on to Olbermann.

[NashVegas]

28. Here's What Woflson Said to AP:

Our point here is to point out that after a campaign in which many of the questions that voters had in the closing days centered on concerns that they had over his state of preparedness to be commander in chief and steward of the economy, he has chosen instead of addressing those issues to attack Senator Clinton," Wolfson told reporters in a conference call. "They've announced that this is what they are going to do.

"I for one do not believe that imitating Ken Starr is the way to win a Democratic primary election for president. But perhaps that theory will be tested," he said.

Now, here's what Obama's campaigners say in a USA Today article about Bill Clinton's refusal to open up some presidential records, per USA Today's request:

Officials with the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., criticized Hillary Clinton this week for not doing more to see that records from her husband's administration are made public. "She's been reluctant to disclose information," Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, told reporters in a conference call in which he specifically cited the slow release records from the Clinton library. "If she's not willing to be open with (voters) on these issues now, why would she be open as president?"

You really think no one in America over the age of 30 is going to be reminded of Ken Starr? Guess again.

[DURHAM D]

55. Think of the children - they can't handle facts.

They also have no historical context - they don't remember the 90s.

[David Zephyr]

29. "I want you to listen to me and listen good. I did not have sex with that woman."

Lies, lies and lies.

[Exilednight]

30. Does team Hillary have any hair left? I mean at the rate they keep splitting them, somone is bald.

[americanstranger]

37. BWAH!

Good one. that's why i dig this place.

- as

[CitizenLeft]

39. HAHAHAHHA!

:rofl:

[rndmprsn]

32. K&R

[jenmito]

33. He's a liar. He's on tape comparing Obama's campaign tactics (asking for tax returns) to Ken Starr.

I wish Obama surrogates would just play the tape and call on him to at LEAST apologize.

[dchill]

34. Wolfson-Bush

Clinton-Bush. Penn-Bush. Monster-Bush.

[stillrockin]

40. He must immediately resign!

Right, Hillary supporters. You wouldn't want the taint of a Samantha Powers type person on your campaign now, would you?

[smiley_glad_hands]

42. He must resign. eom

[nels25]

43. Yeah Right!!

Nod, Nod, wink, wink.

The Clinton campaign is starting to remind me of P. T. Barnum's famous line about being able to fool all of the people all of time.

If they some how manage to win this thing for Hillary and then also win in the fall, they will have 2 chances of governing slim and none, with slim having left the building a long time ago.

She will have approval ratings below 50 within 1 year (maybe only 6 - 9 months).

And it will be a total massacre in 2010, you wait and see, still for the Clinton's what ever it takes, just win baby!!

Brother!!

:mad:

[wryter2000]

44. Can this mean they're finally realizing this *^&*&)*( is going to backfire?

Because, I tell you the truth, she's making it harder and harder for me to vote for her if she gets the nomination. I know I will, but it'll take out any joy I might have had in trying to get a woman elected.

This week, she's lost any financial contribution I might have made.

[Medusa]

46. Let him keep his job. He's doing a great job losing this for Hillary

let's keep it that way. :rofl:

[jpak]

47. Resign!! you lying sack of Ken Starr shit or call Canada about NAFTA or something

:rofl:

[Debi]

49. When will WOLFSON RESIGN????

Take the high road Howard :bounce:

[fadedrose]

50. It's obvious he should resign nt

[pdxmom]

51. Unfortunately, the MSM is on a pro-Clinton bandwagon right now, and

we will not hear a word about this. It will all be about the word "monster", repeated hundreds of times and beating up on Obama, even though he didn't say it and the person who did has resigned immediately.

[AZBlue]

54. Liar! We must demand his resignation or HRC must fire him.

No other options.

[against all enemies]

56. Resign please!!

[Mooney]

57. Please Wolfson, don't resign!

I want you and Mark Penn to manage and strategize the Clinton campaign into the ground. Please keep it up, you fucking moron!