Senator Clinton, I support you. But this is REALLY pissing me off.

[PresidentObama]

Dear Senator Clinton,

When my original choice dropped out of the race, I decided upon you as my candidate for President. While I strongly supported Senator Edwards, his exit from the race left a huge void for one candidate to fill. I think you filled that void, and honestly I was geniunely excited about your candidacy for President and ready to do everything I could to make sure you were President of the United States.

Obviously, all of us who support you are disappointed with the state of the race. We have momentum, but Obama seems to have more momentum. We have money, but he seems to have more. But through all this, I still support you. And I'm still on board fighting to make you the Democratic nominee, and fighting to make you President.

But, I was disappointed to read that YOUR campaign and YOU are trying to suggest that Senator Obama won't end the war in Iraq, and are trying to say you're the only candidate who can bring the troops home. And you even called Senator Obama's prospects for the Presidency "uncertain leadership"

Senator, when you talk about the issues...that's what will lift your campaign. When you present your ideas and your solutions, your message will get across. This is the most bitter primary season I've seen in a long time. Why make it more muddy with distortions and untrue statements? Why suggest your opponent, who has consistently opposed the war, wouldn't end it?

I'm sincerely disappointed, and I hope we can get back to the issues and stop this he said-she said kind of politics where our candidates are more focused on getting the six o'clock sound byte.

Thank you,
Kerry2008

[PresidentObama]

1. P.S. Stop using the "he's just got a speech" line.

We're better than that.

[rox63]

2. Thank you for realizing that your candidate is not perfect

I know mine isn't perfect either, but I still support him. Both candidates are human, and thus they are flawed, just like the rest of us.

[PresidentObama]

4. Yes but this use of strategy screams desperation. Clinton, when on target, is absolutely the best.

When she gets obsessed with making the news sound byte, like this, it just pushes people away from her campaign and I don't like that. I think she's enormously qualified and extremely capable of being President of the United States.

This type of strategy won't get her any closer to the White House.

She should aggressively make the case she's the best prepared to end the war. Not suggest Barack just has a speech, and won't end it.

[Skwmom]

3. The Clintons are the "bought and paid for leadership."

There's a reason Obama gets so much money and votes from the military.

Oh, and they are also the "incompetent - Nafta and financial deregulation will do wonders for this country" leadership.

[Johnny__Motown]

5. Maybe you should rethink your choice

[PresidentObama]

17. I'm considering going back on the fence.

And waiting for the nomination process ends.

I'm sick of how muddy this thing has gotten.

I miss John Edwards :(

[krkaufman]

26. "I miss John Edwards" -- I'll second that. n/t

[PresidentObama]

33. Wasn't Johnny boy the greatest? He's MY kind of President.

[krkaufman]

36. His was certainly the most relevant message in the campaign, in my opinion

... and I liked his understanding that we had a very difficult fight ahead of us.

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Hmmm?

[ericgtr]

7. Good Post K&R

I agree that she seems much more genuine and qualified when she is actually talking issues and not touting unsupported attacks.

:kick:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

8. When has Obama said he would end the war? The only thing I heard was 18 mths.

but that was from Samantha Powers...

[ericgtr]

10. It took about 2 seconds to find this...

Bringing Our Troops Home
Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

See here for the full plan, and he has it all covered http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/

[kerry-is-my-prez]

13. That's good to know. How did that Samantha Powers get it so goofed up?

Maybe it was a good thing he fired her....

[PresidentObama]

14. I think it should be made crystal clear that only one who will continue the war is John McCain.

[krkaufman]

27. Personally, I don't see how she goofed anything up.

Her statement was perfectly reasonable, in my opinion, in communicating the fact that Obama has a plan for getting out of Iraq, that he has developed without access to classified data. When he takes the oath of office, that plan will be adjusted for the conditions on the ground and any currently unknowable information; the goal of being out of Iraq within 16 months will remain, but will obviously be adjusted based on the realities faced at the time -- 2 years and 2 months from now.

Anyone who takes issue with such a statement is either being disingenuous, is a moron, or is insane.

[BeyondGeography]

9. K&R for Democratic standards

[cooolandrew]

11. Truth is love so distortion is.... and disrespectful to folks intelligence.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

[NJSecularist]

12. Don't forget her "We have to make clear to the Iraqis that they have been given the greatest gift..

...freedom" line.

[zulchzulu]

15. Friend, I'm afraid you are just being duped by the Clintons

It's a very verifiable pattern with Hillary Clinton. She says she wants to take the high road and promises to do so. Then, the next day, she goes out and lies and distorts.

Psychologically, I am convinced she is a compulsive pathological liar. She is someone who can be seen as "driven by a usually irrational psychological force". Pathological liars disregard the fact they lied and try to play it off as a joke.

One thing you can count on with Hillary Clinton. When she says she is going to discuss the issues and not try to tear other Democrats down, expect her to do exactly the opposite...sometimes literally the day after.

This ruse about distorting Obama's opinion about the war has been an old standby with Hillary Clinton after she lost badly in Iowa. She has been debunked and said she wouldn't do it numerous times and still falls back on the same lies.

She is not fit to be President and is not to be trusted. Period.

[krkaufman]

28. One of my favorite "hypocritical Hillary" moments from the campaign ...

... was during the TX(?) debate, when she attacked Obama in the middle of the debate with the, I believe, petty "change you can Xerox" line, but then closed the debate with her "honored to be here with Sen. Obama" supposedly-conciliatory closing, that her campaign then pushed into the media. I was astounded that the media totally jumped on board with the "conciliatory closing statement" theme, when I viewed it as completely contrary to her attitude earlier in the debate and therefore not genuine. But they ran and ran with it...

... and then Clinton came out swinging with her "kitchen sink" negative attacks. (see: "Shame on you!")

I just don't trust her, and have grown to dislike her, almost entirely based on her campaign tactics since post-Iowa. It will be a vile vote in November if I am forced to pull the lever for her.

[kenfrequed]

34. no.

Alright there is a line when it comes to this sort of thing and "compulsive liar" foolishly crosses it.

I have long criticized the clintons for their absurd economic policy Nafta/Gatt and the WTO, and of course Welfare reform, and the war and all that. But to call her a compulsive liar is just silly and sounds like something a republican would say.

Did she contort or twist the truth with regards to Obama's record? Definitely. But a pathologic liar often lies with only miniscule benefit. it was more about strategy when she made her statements about herself and McCain both having the lifetime of experience. It is a series of carefully crafted comments that were screened through her advisors to create or infer percisely that Obama is:
A. Inexperienced and
B. Unable to beat McCain

If you doubt it was crafted, then I refer you to the number of times she attempted to use it as a talking point.

So pathological? No. She does not have it as a medical or psychological compulsion to lie, anymore than a poker player does.

That said I think it is a disingenuous suggestion that does more harm to the Democrats as a party than good, as it suggested that she believed that McCain was more qualified as a candidate.

I should say that I do not support Hilary as a candidate, my favorites dropped out. Obama is sort of my compromise candidate at this point.

[last1standing]

16. This is what tipped me over to Obama.

I supported Edwards as well, but he dropped out I was literally on the fence as neither candidate really seemed very different in their policies. Both were playing dirty then but one expects that. However, when Clinton started really dragging the bottom I found that I just couldn't support her campaign. I'm not saying Obama would make a much better president than Clinton, or visa versa, but the lies and smears from the Clinton camp have gone too far.

Of course it also didn't help her cause when I found out that her campaign has been actively trying to undermine Howard Dean and the DNC. The worst thing that either campaign could do is abandon the 50 state strategy and the netroots funding that Dean has set in motion. Going back to Terry McAuliffe and his likes would just move us back to the minority in the house and senate.

[MojoMojoMojo]

18. Obama never said he would remove any mercenaries .He specificly

referred to battle troops.Which doesnt mean he he intends to remove support personnel either.
His advisors are frank about his intentions .
He needs to be specific because he doesnt have any credability after the Nafta wink wink and the Samantha Power fiasco.

[Straight Shooter]

22. Correct. He intends to remove combat troops only.

As a qualifier, Samantha Power gave away the game when she acknowledged he would make his decisions based on the ground situation at the time.

Obama can't guarantee anything. Nobody can. It's all wishful thinking at this stage, unfortunately. All anyone can promise is to carry their intent into the White House after inauguration.

[angie_love]

19. k&R

[uponit7771]

20. As an Obama supporter I don't like when he attacks her at all but can appreciate when he stays with

...undigested facts

[beachmom]

21. Hi Kerry2008. How are you?

Honestly, I'll be forever puzzled as to why you backed Hillary. Maybe it was the mandates in her healthcare plan. But the truth is, what you are seeing now is what the Hillary campaign has been the whole time, only it keeps getting worse.

[PresidentObama]

30. Hey beachmom.....

Good to see you. I'm ok. And yourself?

I backed Hillary for a couple of reasons. Like you said, I like her healthcare plan. And thought it mirrored a lot of Senator Edwards. I sincerely thought she was best prepared to take on McCain and the Republicans, and their vicious attack machine. I thought she was being more thorough in providing substance and vision on the key issues our country faces. Which I think the more and more that Obama's candidacy looks inevitable, he's addressing the issues in a more intense way. Which I like.

I will support the Democratic nominee with great pride. I enjoy both candidates.

[Catherina]

23. Recommending for integrity n/t

[MrSlayer]

24. No one is going to end the war.

Anyone who would have, Kucinich, Gravel or Paul, never had a shot to win.

[krkaufman]

25. A commendable post, to which many of us should aspire. n/t

[sudopod]

29. WHAT YOU SAID

I would love for our candidates to have a real debate about ideas. Even if my guy lost that debate, it would be better than sex because that would mean that the winner would kick ass, have a Go Directly to the White House card, and be capable of fixing the shit that has been broken in the last seven years.

The campaign as it is, though, just makes me want to cry.

[PerfectSage]

31. K&R

Gobama!
Go Deans 50 State Strategy!
Go Grassroots!

[slinkerwink]

32. thank you for your post!

[catgirl]

35. I also kick for integrity (nt)