Obama scandal?

[Ravy]

They were talking about it this morning on "Morning Joe".

Evidently Robert Novak put something on his blog on Saturday about the Clinton camp saying that they had some scandalous information about Obama, but were not going to use it.

Obama responded in writing, and on TV in the order of "If they have something, bring it forward. I have nothing to hide."

The Clinton camp then responded that it showed Obama was an amateur for responding to anything in Robert Novak's column and that he should not be escalating the issue.

Previous to this morning, I had not heard about it. I have to say that in the era of Swiftboating, what is a person to do?

I note that there are not 100 GD threads about this, so I couldn't call it much of an escalation, but still... we don't need another Gore-like mistake of not responding more forcefully to the "invented the Internet", or Kerry's non-initial response to the Swiftboat allegations.

In short, I see it both ways.

Anyone care to discuss?

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. really? I had not heard about it.

(hehehehe)

Actually there were likely 100 posts on this yesterday. You can imagine.

Discuss: if Obama wanted to respond at all, he should have responded to Novak--the right-wing-traitorous-hack-who-will-write-anything-they-tell-him-too. And tell him to stop spreading irresponsible inuendo with no fact to back it up. But instead Obama went to Clinton and he ended up looking kinda stupid.

[tyne]

3. Consider this...

Does Novak want the dems to discuss it?

What would happen if we ignored it?

[Evergreen Emerald]

5. exactly

If he responds at all to the shill masquerading as a journalist, it could have been short and sweet and a nice put down.

[Clintonista2]

27. Bingo!

It makes both Obama AND Hillary look bad. It makes Hillary look evil and plotting, it makes Obama look like he has some terrible dark secret. It's a shame that Obama took the bait on this one and attacked Hillary instead of Novak.

[Toots]

2. If he won't name his sources then he is just an out and out LIAR

And a
TRAITOR...

[Ganja Ninja]

4. Why isn't Novak in jail for treason?

That's all anyone should say about him.

[brazos121200]

6. Here's what I think happened: I think someone did go to Novak with this story

and gave him some information about something Obama did in the past. Whether these people were from the Clinton camp or repubs trying to stir up trouble I don't know. But, if the repubs had something on Obama, wouldn't they wait till later to use this on Obama? Like after he was the Dem nominee? If someone from the Clinton camp or other candidate's camp went to Novak trying to damage Obama in this way then it is despicable. Possibly someone associated with one of the other candidates went to Novak without the knowledge or approval of the candidate. It is dirty and it is ulgy, welcome to American politics. I'd rather this information, if there is anything, came out now than later.

[sallyseven]

13. How about Rove??? His source

for every evil thing in politics. I am surprised that Obama even asked the question. Clinton camp too smart for stuff like that. From rove's mouth to Novak's ear. They are both scum.

[Ravy]

17. You might have it...

... David Schuster was specualating that it must have been someone in the Clinton camp that had Novak's ear.

Far more likely it was someone like Rove, who knew the Clinton camp had some information because he made sure to send it to them, and he saw that they were refusing to act upon it.

[brazos121200]

22. I wouldn't put ANYTHING past rove. But the

question I ask myself is wouldn't rove plant a story to hurt Clinton instead of Obama? Rove seems to be fixated on Clinton as the inevitable Democratic nominee, so what would be his motive, unless it was to somehow damage Clinton in the process, which may well be the case.

[Ravy]

26. Rove would only want to hurt Clinton *after* the dem nomination, perhaps.

Just speculating.

I do believe the Rs (and corporate media) want to run against Clinton, some may read that as being in a better position if they fail to defeat her and she becomes president.

[KansDem]

28. I think the GOP wanted a "two-fer"

I was thinking about this over the weekend. We all know Novak is a neo-con whore and will say/print anything to advance the cause of the Bushistas. We know how Rove operates: completely amoral. So the two get together and conger up this "story" in hopes of taking out the two Dem frontrunners. Obama looks bad because of the "scandal," and Clinton looks bad because of the perceived "sleaze." And both wind up fighting each other.

[PinkTiger]

7. Here's a link to the Novak story

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11172007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/hill_shills_hint_at_bam_slam_94193.htm

[Bitwit1234]

8. I guess the Obama supporters just won't let this lie go

WHO in the hell, except Obama supporters would ever in their wildest dreams believe that Clinton's campaign would go to Novak and give them any information, any information at all.

That Obama would fall for this blatant republican trick shows his immaturity...but then, maybe, since this is the type of thing he would do, he thinks everybody is like him.

This has been posted at least 25 times on the journal and how in the world can any body say they don't know about it.

[Ravy]

10. First of all, I am not an Obama supporter.

And secondly, I have been looking for 5 minutes now that the first poster said there were a 100 posts about it (as I would have expected) and have yet to find one.

[blogslut]

15. Have you met the our resident Obama Basher?

;)

[Ravy]

20. Not that I know of.

I don't look at a lot of the Obama-Clinton threads as there is not usually much to glean.

I am more interested in the issue of quick response vs. ignoring the issue until it rises to a level where it has to be responded to.

Maybe that is why I missed the discussion about it yesterday.

[MadBadger]

35. Oh yea, Bitwit is a chronic Obama basher

[global1]

9. All I Got To Say Is That Things Are Tightening Up In Iowa And HRC.....

is in trouble. If the Repugs really want to run against HRC then the Novak story helps. If the Clinton camp is getting nervous - then this whole issue helps them.

So what would you do if you were Obama - just sit there and take this. I don't think so. Look what happened to Kerry. Look what happened to Dean. Look what happened to Gore.

I think there is a lot of truth with Edwards statements from the debate that 'we'll be trading a corporate Repug administration for a corporate Dem administration if we elect HRC.

Again - 4yrs Daddy Bush + 8yrs Bill Clinton + 8yrs Dim Son Jr and now possibly 4 to 8yrs of HRC = 24 to 28yrs dominance by these two families that keep bringing the same people back into their administrations to run things. Can you say - deadlocked congress. Who will benefitting by this? You can be sure it will not be the rank and file American.

Obama made a big point at last weeks debate about lifting the cap on SS. HRC dodged that - the corporate elite and the rich don't want that. They want to leave it on the backs of us poor saps in the low and middle class.

All this anti-Obama sentiment that has hit the airwaves since last weeks debate tells me that Obama is a big threat to what has taken years to develop in this country - probably since the Reagan days.

So it looks like all guns are pointed at Obama - to do him in before the big Iowa vote.

Think about it - if Edwards drops out - who will get his support. Not HRC.

This is what they're worried about and the corporate press has been recruited in these last weeks before Iowa to put some brakes on the Obama train.

[Ravy]

11. Good insight. I agree with all except removing the SSI cap.

but that is another thread.

Thanks for the post!

[Windy]

12. All true. Obama must respond to this nonsense and forcefully

I believe that he will. Edwards should also respond forcefully to the claims of the clinton camp that he is "mudslinging" by merely pointing out the differences in the candidates.

[maddiejoan]

16. Edwards didn't just point out differences.

He out and out called her corrupt.

[sallyseven]

21. I do not think either Obama nor Edwards are fit to be president.

They promise things they cannot deliver. Give me someone who thinks the situation through. No one knows what the situation in SS or the War or anything else will be in 1/20/09. Biden and Hillary are more mature and know that bush has hidden lots of crap. They know that if they promise stuff and cannot deliver it because of circumstances beyond their control the f king press will crucify them next year.

[NWHarkness]

19. Guess again.

I'm an Edwards supporter. If my choice narrows to Obama or Clinton, I will, with no great enthusiasm, support Clinton. Obama's willingness to use GOP rhetoric, whether because of cynical opportunism or the naivety of inexperience, is one of the reasons I will not support him for the nomination. As I said in a previous thread on this issue, if he is willing to listen to the likes of Robert Novak as a candidate, I believe it is reasonable to be concerned that he would listen to them as president.

[global1]

29. So If Novak Insinuated Something About HRC In His Column She Would Just Ignore.......

and her campaign would ignore. I think not.

[NWHarkness]

36. I would hope that she would respond TO NOVAK

And not just assume, as Obama seems to have, that Novak's claim is true and use it as a basis to attack another Democrat.

All our candidates should maintain a healthy measure of skepticism about attacks on their opponents that come from GOP sources. Why should the default assumption be that what Novak says has merit?

Basically, Novak said "Let's you and her fight!" and Obama took the bait.

[madmom]

37. I have to agree here!

[Windy]

40. Its not that he listens to Novak, its that others listen to Novak

news organizations listen to Novak... unfortunately many people listen to the snake and it cost Valerie Plame her career.

Vote for who you want obviously. I don't think that Hillary has any more experience than Obama. Kennedy was a great president with little experience in Washington. I do agree about Biden. He is knowledgeable in matters of foreign policy, but I have a problem with his support of the Bankruptcy bill.

Hillary is a corporatist and has no problem taking money from lobbying groups and won't work to change the system. Her vote on Lieberman Kyl is also troubling. I've heard arguments that she only voted as she did to try and sway republicans to vote for her in the general. I want a leader, not a politician.

Just my opinion.

[Rockholm]

14. Blind Item. He is making this shit up.

[blogslut]

18. That's what I'm guessing

Poor Bob, trying to remain relevant.

[bunkerbuster1]

23. It must suck being undead.

Part of me wants to pity Novakula.


a teeny tiny part, that I'll tell to shut up now.

[Rockholm]

38. Relevantly irrelevant

[Atman]

24. Actually, you got it wrong: Obama DID NOT say "I have nothing to hide."

That was what Mika was trying to get the others to understand on Joe's show this morning. They hammered on about his bad attitude, and how Obama went into attack mode and played right into Hillary/Novak's hand. But Mika pointed out, and I think rightly so, there is something very fishy about the entire story, and that all Obama had to do, if he indeed knew they were lying, was to demand they lay their cards on the table. He didn't do that. All he did was address them attempting to smear him, but he never challenged them, which could have shut them right up.

.

[global1]

30. So Are You Insinulating That It Was Obama's Camp That Planted The Story?.......nt

[Atman]

32. No, I am relaying the exchange I heard on the news this morning.

.

[Virginia Dare]

25. My ultimate fantasy about this whole thing is..

that Novak has been "Dan Rathered". Wouldn't that be his ultimate come-uppance?

Sadly, this is just a fantasy.

[KharmaTrain]

31. And Novakula Has Credibility?

This douchebag only serves as a conduit of the "village" trash...spreading the dirt that someone else wants out there. He's a "go-to" source for all sorts of disinformation (why Rove was so quick to call him on Plamegate) that serves only to slander, distort or confuse. His "sources" always have another motive here and Novakula is glad to play agent provacateur...especially if it means making Democrats look bad.

I can't see any campaign having his phone number of Rolodex...and that few if any Democrats trust him, yet pay any attention to him. He's the wrong messanger if you really want to plant a good slime. There's many other sources that can be used now...Novakula's as current as a manual typewriter.

[yardwork]

33. Why would anyone read Bob Novak anymore? Really.

[pkz]

34. I am wondering about this

story that one of the candidates is involved in a scandalous affair, buzzing around the net, since "the press decided to hold the item" leak

One of these is the really big one, the other two are just cover...you know, to lessen the validity of the real one.

* rumor of Edwards cheating on his sick spouse
* rumor of Obama past scandal
* rumor that Hills sleeps with her aide

Personally, I could care less, whom one sleeps with is not my business, but if this was a plan, say, 2 guys deny rumors, the third will get a courtesy blow-off.
Looks just like more slime politics.

If someone thought this one up as cover...kudos, it will work.

[blondeatlast]

39. Check out my sig line--it applies to any of the RW hacks, not just FUX. nt