Breaking: Senior Clinton Aide Caught Distributing Right-Wing Obama Attacks For Months

[democrattotheend]

Just saw this on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/sidney-blumenthal-uses-fo_b_99695.html


Almost every day over the past six months, I have been the recipient of an email that attacks Obama's character, political views, electability, and real or manufactured associations. The original source of many of these hit pieces are virulent and sometimes extreme right-wing websites, bloggers, and publications. But they aren't being emailed out from some fringe right-wing group that somehow managed to get my email address. Instead, it is Sidney Blumenthal who, on a regular basis, methodically dispatches these email mudballs to an influential list of opinion shapers -- including journalists, former Clinton administration officials, academics, policy entrepreneurs, and think tankers -- in what is an obvious attempt to create an echo chamber that reverberates among talk shows, columnists, and Democratic Party funders and activists. One of the recipients of the Blumenthal email blast, himself a Clinton supporter, forwards the material to me and perhaps to others.

[ShortnFiery]

1. Oh my GAWD! Time to "Renounce, Refute and Throw Under the Bus" ?

I bet "the bodies" located "Under the Clintonian Bus" are getting pretty cramped for space. :evilgrin:

[papau]

126. Like supporters of Obama are Saints that never do the same against Hillary

[Eric Condon]

129. No, see, we don't need to use right-wing talking points against Hillary.

We use left-wing talking points. When there seem to be so many issues on which you can attack Hillary FROM THE LEFT, it kinda makes you start to wonder.

[VotesForWomen]

140. L. O. L. it's the same old irrational, rabid, right-wing Clinton hatred. nt

[Eric Condon]

151. So any criticism of the Clintons = "irrational, rabid, right-wing Clinton hatred?"

You clearly have a reading comprehension problem.

You're not using RIGHT-WING talking points when you criticize the Clintons FOR BEING TOO CONSERVATIVE.

Why don't the Hillbots understand this?

[EFerrari]

165. You seem to have a problem with left and right.

lol

[earthlover]

169. But the rabid right wing Clinton hatred is the same stuff the Clinton Camp uses!

It shoots to hell any form of credibility from the Clinton Camp when they on the one hand complain about right wing attacks being behind any criticism while out the other side of their mouth they use right wing attacks of their opponents themselves!

The enourmity of the hypocrisy is that, when caught, their followers point to the right wing propaganda of others to rationalize the right wing propaganda of Hillary's!!!

So...why doesn't Hillary's side argue against right wing propaganda if they don't like it, instead of using it themselves?

[pingzing58]

182. Obama needs to be defeated. Dems are making a big mistake to support him.

[GoneOffShore]

185. And on what factual basis do you make that statement?

Or did you forget the :sarcasm: tag?

[krispos42]

174. *zing!*

:highfive:

[sallyseven]

190. Yes you do and I don't believe

this guy whoever he is. I get regular messages from Clinton but nothing that resembles the trash that that person is lying about. I have come to the conclusion people on DU will stoop at no0thing to trash Hillary. Lie cheat and steal too.

[frylock]

130. fuck that..

let's see some fucking examples. all you rubes have left is rev wright and i know you are but what am i. mcclinton is toast.

[anigbrowl]

132. sez you, without any proof - put up or shut up.

[democrattotheend]

135. The article said Obama's campaign has not been doing similar covert e-mails

Sure, some of his online supporters might do it, but that's different from having a senior aide in the campaign do it.

[MADem]

188. Naaah, they go straight to YOUTUBE with doctored video!

:rofl:

[madrchsod]

139. do you have proof that anyone

on the obama staff has done the same thing?

[Infinite Hope]

150. Solid Defense.

:sarcasm:

[Orsino]

184. Out 'em all, and shame 'em...

...assuming they can be shamed, that is.

[mudesi]

187. Give an example

Or shut the hell up.

[redqueen]

2. Anyone surprised?

Anyone?

[H2O Man]

17. Disappointed,

but certainly not shocked. I had thought higher of him.

[redqueen]

18. I did, too...

around 15 years ago.

[H2O Man]

106. When he was caught

driving drunk in January, I felt bad. I am not a fan of drinking and driving, and believe there should be consequences. It seemed odd timing. Perhaps he was trying to blot out any remaining conscience.

[Solomon]

84. I did too. This makes me sad.

[H2O Man]

105. He has long been

known for his media skills. I thought that his releasing information on Ken Starr was okay, because KS was a shithead. But to try to kneecap a good democrat is low.

[jbnow]

87. I read about his role in a March article

Smearing Obama

The Nation article focuses a lot on how some of the extreme right wing get some of it the appearance of being credible but leave no doubt smearing him is a shared game.

Even if the false claims about Obama originally emanated from the neoconservative right, the Clinton campaign has eagerly pushed them. Clinton operative Sidney Blumenthal has e-mailed damaging stories about Obama to reporters, including a recent article by Batchelor. Clinton fundraiser Annie Totah circulated a column by Ed Lasky before Super Tuesday, with the inscription "Please vote wisely in the Primaries." Clinton adviser Ann Lewis falsely referred to Zbigniew Brzezinski, a critic of AIPAC, as a chief adviser to Obama on a conference call with Jewish reporters. "I can tell you for a fact people from the Clinton campaign are calling reporters and asking them to pay attention to things involving Obama and Israel," says Shmuel Rosner, Washington correspondent for the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. The volume of e-mails about Obama in a given state tends to track the election calendar--hardly a coincidence.

John Batchelor whose articles they specifically mentioned Blumenthal emailing is described this way:

John Batchelor, a right-wing talk-radio host for KFI-AM in Los Angeles who has written a series of outlandish columns about Obama for the conservative magazine Human Events and repeatedly pushed the Obama smears on his radio show. According to an e-mail of Batchelor's obtained by The Nation, Batchelor says that information about Obama and Khalidi came via "oppo research."

"Oppo research."

[H2O Man]

107. I remember

how at one time, he had a law suit against Drudge. But Sidney B dropped it, under curious circumstances. I think he claimed he couldn't afford to continue the suit, which rings hollow. I think there was an out-of-court settlement, which strikes me as interesting.

[PoliticalAmazon]

19. More pig-slop politics from Hillary, the pig-slop queen. n/t

[redqueen]

30. The Drudge liaison, the robo-calls, this...

not a pattern or anything. Heavens, no.

[PoliticalAmazon]

54. Its sad. I have a dfferent opinion of frieds who are Hillary supporters than I did before...

...Frankly, I'm shocked that they would support her and her style of politics. What does this say about their own sense of integrity? They loathed the Bush/Rove politics, but they support Hillary. To me, it's hypocritical, applying a double-standard, both of which are not indicative of ethical thinking.

We don't talk politics at all, so I doubt his will divide us completely, but I don't think it will ever be the same between us.

[VotesForWomen]

141. well, it's common that when people join cults they separate themselves from old friends and family.

[Kaleko]

154. Funny. You chose a name like VotesForWomen

which indicates you're voting for candidates because of their genitals. Then you go ahead and blithely accuse someone grappling with the double standard displayed by Hillary supporters of joining a CULT.

I agree, Amazon. The lack of self-awareness is truly mind-boggling at times.

[Ken Burch]

158. Are you people EVER going to stop with the "cult" lie?

It's not cultish just to enthusiastically support a candidate.

[CoffeeCat]

117. ...and she's throwing mud in vain...

...because she can't and won't win this primary.

She needs to the hell out.

She's rolling in the "pig-slop" as you said--while hanging on in a
race that she clearly won't be able to win. It''s like having a
party guest who won't leave--and is dancing on the coffee table
with the lampshade on their head.

It's one thing to remain in this race and be civil. It's another
to act like a blood-sucking, destructive monster---when it's
all for nothing--except to punish your opponent for daring
to take away your entitlement.

[tnlefty]

29. Well, actually I am.

Call me naive, but this is lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut, and done by fellow democrats to slime another democrat. Live and learn I guess.

[redqueen]

33. Someone on this board (sorry I forget who)

recently educated me about the slimy tactics used against Jerry Brown in 92.

[helderheid]

79. I come to expect this shit unfortunately.

*sigh*

[leftofcool]

3. Lots of people get this crap on a daily basis

Hit the delete mail button

[JimGinPA]

11. Apparently Lots Of People Are Getting It Straight From The Clinton Camp Too

[leftofcool]

34. I get mail from Hillary everyday. Your point?

[Terran]

50. You have the worst case of deliberate obtuseness

I have ever seen.

[democrattotheend]

13. The point is, a senior Clinton aide is distributing it covertly

And I know a lot of people who have gotten crap like that and sadly believed it. If that's how Clinton wants to conduct her campaign, that's her choice, but she ought to be held accountable for it.

[leftofcool]

32. " a former Clinton administration official"

[redqueen]

36. There's that "plausible deniability" again.

How many times does this kind of crap need to happen before you'd so much as raise an eyebrow?

[Why Syzygy]

131. With friends like that your enemies don't need enemies.

[democrattotheend]

Nope, read the last paragraph. He is on the campaign.

In the Clinton administration, Blumenthal was primarily a behind-the-scenes strategist, but often found himself speaking in front of the cameras and on the record. In both roles, he was known as a committed Clintonista who played hardball. He's demonstrated those same traits since joining Hillary's campaign as a senior advisor last November.

[redqueen]

48. Hah.

*sigh*

Somehow, I doubt it'll make a lick of difference.

You can set your watch by "stupid stuff Hillary and/or her campaign does".

[dionysus]

172. no, he's with the campaign. you are lying.

you guys lie with the ease of your queen...

:rofl:

[ORDagnabbit]

4. It is a right wing conspiracy.....and shes part of it...playing the game for all its worth...

shes a neo-con in democratic clothing like LIEberman and Zell Miller..

[ShortnFiery]

7. "Duplicity R US" is the new Clintonian Slogan in their deceitful race for the WH. eom

[PoliticalAmazon]

21. They have to use pig-slop politics because they cannot win by honest means. n/t

[democracy1st]

5. thanks for the update

[BlueIdaho]

6. That''s My Girl!

How low will she go? How low will she go? How low will she go?

[Happyhippychick]

8. Is it April 1st or May 1st?

[democrattotheend]

9. Huh?

[redqueen]

20. Hoping it's an April Fool's thing, and not real?

:shrug:

[democrattotheend]

25. Ah, gotcha. As far as I can tell it's real.

And not altogether too surprising. I just hope the MSM gives it coverage, but won't get my hopes up. Reverend Wright is just too important.

[Happyhippychick]

89. It was my lame, lame attempt at sarcasm. I know who is throwing the feces at Obama.

[gateley]

10. Nice group of people, those Clinton "operatives".

And the robo-call info that came out yesterday. *shaking head*

There have been repeated stories like this about smarmy goings on from Clinton supporters and the campaign. I'm not accusing Hillary of having hands-on involvement, or even knowledge, but if you're known by the company you keep....

There are so many GOOD people supporting HRC, it's shitty when a few do something like this -- as we all know, that's what makes the news.

[redqueen]

24. And the robo-call crimes are STILL not news...

and not even Keith said that that "non-partisan" group of protesters in front of the DNC were really Hillary's supporters.

*sigh*

[gateley]

38. It's so aggravating. nt

[Lucky 13]

12. lying deceitful neo-con Rovian rethuglican bastards.

Seriously she needs to be RUN OUT ON A RAIL.

[ej510]

27. Not surprising, because Chris Matthews has just reported that

Hillary Clinton told Bill O'Reilly that she would go out to dinner with him. Hillary is now an official member of the GOP.

[Lucky 13]

77. They deserve each other. Truly.

:puke:

[liberaldem4ever]

14. K & R!! Glad to know it is being reported

That is so disgusting. Those people think they can lie and deceive voters and nobody will call them on it. They make me :puke:

[Greyskye]

35. Unfortunately, it's NOT being reported.

A blog on Huffington does not mainstream reporting make.

It's a start, but until it gets picked up by the MSM, it's going to fly way under the radar.

[democrattotheend]

37. I'm holding out hope.

Remember that "bittergate" began with an article on HuffPost.

[Greyskye]

46. I'm hoping as well.

Just being my typical downer self. :hi:

[democrattotheend]

72. My grandfather gave me Olbermann's e-mail, but I can't find it.

I e-mailed him to ask for it again.

[SteveM]

40. MSM gots to break Obama, gots to make him cry, gots to... (nt)

[druidity33]

80. NBC won't air it

Russert is Blacklisting Arianna...

:shrug:

[democrattotheend]

82. This wasn't written by Arianna. And why is he blacklisting her?

[druidity33]

83. RussertWatch?

Apparently her new book is out and she's been on lots of shows. It's highly critical of MTP and Russert is supposedly thin-skinned when it comes to criticism. Also there is an updated column(?) on HuffPo that is critical of him in particular called RussertWatch?

Seen her on Keith lately?

[ErinBerin84]

15. Oh man.

According to the article, the aide is THE guy who officially coined the term "right wing conspiracy", and passed it along to Hillary Clinton to use.


It's like everything is coming full circle.

[Jane Austin]

43. Sidney Blumenthal is way more than "an aide".

He is a name brand who, incidentally, was the "Clinton campaigner" arrested for drunk driving in New Hampshire.

I had always thought he was a good guy.

But then, I thought my first husband was, too.

[ErinBerin84]

57. one day, there will be many books written about

Stockholm Syndrome in the Clinton campaign. It's so fucking gross.

[Barack_America]

16. So this is the guy who coined the phrase, "vast right-wing conspiracy"?

And now...

God damn it, I'm really starting to hate the Clintons. It's time for them to either shape up or ship the hell out of this party.

Disgusting.

[Jane Austin]

53. I have a friend who spends every spare moment she has

organizing and phone-banking for the Obama campaign.

Since last fall, she has alluded to the nasty stuff that comes out of the Clinton campaign, which she will not elaborate on, but which just about breaks her heart. She says, even when we tell her things we've read on DU, that we "have no idea how disgusting some of it is".

I'll bet this is part of what she was talking about.

[fascisthunter]

Gee.... I'm Surprised

:sarcasm:

[H2O Man]

22. This is really sad.

I used to have a lot of respect for him. It will be interesting to see if he tries to justify this low behavior, deny it, or simply ignore the article.

[myrna minx]

99. I poured over his book :"The Clinton Wars" when it was released. He, of all people

should know better. This is horribly disappointing.

[H2O Man]

109. Exactly.

He used to do well at delivering the goods on people like Ken Starr in an off-the-record way. He had been called before the grand jury to answer questions about that, in fact. But to do it against a good democratic is wrong.

[myrna minx]

110. That's why I am so stunned by this. I had thought better of him, and

did not think he would savage his own.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

23. Outrageous

[olkaz]

26. Not surprising.

Jesus, the Clinton machine MUST go.

[TragedyandHope]

28. Wake up, Democrats!

:kick:

[2rth2pwr]

31. {yawn}

[Dogmudgeon]

41. Looks like all those lectures about the sin of "guilt by association" ...

... are shot to hell.

Until the next time an Obama surrogate cuts the political cheese.

--p!
And a new wheel of something pungent ought to be arriving any day now.

[frazzled]

49. no guilt by association here: Blumenthal is a senior adviser to her campaign

Samantha Power, an adviser to the Obama campaign, got the ax for using one single word, "monster," to a Scottish newspaper.

Months of distributing right-wing hate/hit pieces by a Clinton senior adviser gets ... a yawn from you. Nice logic there.

[redqueen]

52. Seriously... what did you expect?

[frazzled]

60. It's exactly what I've come to expect ... but I'm still shocked

There was a time when I expended a fair amount of energy defending the likes of Sidney Blumenthal.

I would not be surprised if he were denigrating Obama--politics is hardball. I'm saddened, disappointed, and, yes, shocked, however, that the entire strategy of the Clinton campaign and associates is to attack Obama from the right. Attack him from the left? I could live with that. All's fair in politics. But to attack from the right is beyond the pale and, frankly, kind of scary.

I don't know that I'll ever be able to see this crew in a positive light again.

[2rth2pwr]

56. see here-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5771333

[democrattotheend]

63. What does that have to do with this?

[Forkboy]

97. Nothing. I pointed out to him earlier that whenever cornered he changes the topic.

He'll call you juvenile next. :)

[Dogmudgeon]

136. It's even lots of the same people!

They must ALL be mixing vicodin with their tequila!

--p!
Hydrocodone: It doesn't just mean "Good Evening, Dear" in Esperanto any more.

[me b zola]

74. You will see more defections of Clinton SDs to Obama

Every stink bomb that is thrown @ Obama will ensure more prominent Democrats to defect from team Clinton to Obama. The nastier and longer this goes on, the more Hillary nails the lid shut on any political future that she may have had.

[2rth2pwr]

149. What's wrong with sending out emails about your opponent?

If there are deliberate lies that's one thing, but because they come from "right wing" sources doesn't make them radioactive. The real world is not like DU where there are monitors

ready to jump up and yell "You were watching Fox News? How could you? You must be a neo-con" at anybody who gets there info/news from varied sources.

[The Doctor.]

124. Nice double standard you all got there. Hillary slings mud= fair game, Barack defends himself;

"He's DIRTY!".

Name one underhanded tactic by the Obama campaign like this one.

I won't hold my breath.

[dionysus]

173. i know you think you're clever... but more and more the clinton campaign is turning into RW filth...

tie yourself to that sinking ship all you want, it makes you look like the vacuous sleazebag you are...

[LSK]

176. I cant wait till this primary is over and all the paid Hillbots leave this website

[Yossariant]

39. When the right wing, Noonan, Goldberg, Kristol, Sullivan, etc., praises Obama,

it's lauded here in thread after thread and touted as Barack's ability to "reach out.".

But when the right wing attacks Obama, it's gotta be kept top-secret info.

Go it.

Woe to those who hear the word and yet refuse to believe.

Creepy, I tell you. Really creepy.

[democrattotheend]

44. This is not about the right wing attacking. This is about a Clinton campaign aide covertly

forwarding those attacks. If that's the way she is going to run her campaign, that's her right, but she ought to be held accountable.

[ekwhite]

112. What is REALLY creepy

Is right wing attacks coming from the Clinton campaign. What is even creepier is Clinton supporters like you supporting the right-wing attacks. Is Hillary a Democrat or not?

[catgirl]

42. K & R

[Tinksrival]

45. Read the whole article

Explains alot

[democrattotheend]

47. Did I miss something?

I admit I put this up here kind of quickly. Is there something I missed?

[Tinksrival]

108. No, not you silly!

Everybody else! I want everyone to read the whole thing. It explained a lot about Hillary's echo chamber and her mighty Wurlitzer spewing this rightwing crap.

[burythehatchet]

51. They are all fucking pigs. Porcine bastards. They hate America and they hate Democracy

They are worse than Republicans because they don't have the courage to just joint the puke party.

[americanstranger]

55. This, kids, is why they used to call him 'Sid Vicious.'

And don't hold your breath waiting for the campaign to distance itself from him. He's family.

- as

[Tribetime]

58. That really pisses me off K/R

[babylonsister]

59. There goes any respect I might have had for Sidney Blumenthal;

how low can he get?

[Scurrilous]

61. K & R

:thumbsup:

[futureliveshere]

62. Bloody dishonest, fucking unpatriotic, selfish pricks. Please READ the entire article. K&R

[Hope And Change]

64. This really caught my eye from the article...

Former journalist Sidney Blumenthal has been widely credited with coining the term "vast right-wing conspiracy" used by Hillary Clinton in 1998 to describe the alliance of conservative media, think tanks, and political operatives that sought to destroy the Clinton White House where he worked as a high-level aide. A decade later, and now acting as a senior campaign advisor to Senator Clinton, Blumenthal is exploiting that same right-wing network to attack and discredit Barack Obama. And he's not hesitating to use the same sort of guilt-by-association tactics that have been the hallmark of the political right dating back to the McCarthy era.

I mean WTF?Is Hillary running as a Republican or something?

[democrattotheend]

67. Despicable

I have seen friends' parents get smear e-mails about Obama being a Muslim and being anti-Israel, and I had a feeling the Clinton campaign was behind it.

[democrattotheend]

81. My mom is convinced that she is a closet Republican

I am not sure I'd go that far, but she's certainly willing to emulate their tactics.

[Bette Noir]

121. I agree with your mom.

Hill has been running as a Republican for at least a year.

[Bigleaf]

65. Those rotten fucking no-good motherfuckers! Fuck the Clintons! Fuck their slimey ways!

I'm done with them.

[crankychatter]

69. don't candy coat it Big... tell me how you really feel.. don't hold back, OK? n/t

:-)

[ekwhite]

113. Boy, was that a record for the use of the F word in a single sentence? N/T

[stillcool]

66. pathetic. And some view her as a 'fighter'...

she couldn't fight herself out of a paper bag without a team of hacks, and a pile of cash, to help her out.

[eridani]

162. Someone who fights Dems instead of Rethugs should not be supported by the party n/t

[crankychatter]

68. I need to see all the emails, so I can meter my outrage appropriately n/t

:-)

[izzybeans]

70. Much of that echo chamber has been reverberating right here at DU.

Sad, really. Some really good Duers have been sucked into that big vortex of lies.

[carolinayellowdog]

71. Another reputation self-destroyed for Hillary

Hey,

The "dead to me" posts from Clinton supporters deserve the contempt they receive here. As Obama says, reconciliation and redemption should be our objective. I can think of a couple of people who were once "dead to me" but now, sometimes, appear to have something worth saying. Can never forgive Andrew Sullivan for his "fifth columnists in their decadent enclaves" 9/11 crap. Did he ever apologize? It was downright outrageously EVIL, but I can still read him and find some value in his current blog. Camille Paglia is another, someone who seemed really deranged with anti-Clinton madness-- until I learned what the Clintons are capable of. Still hard to take sometimes, but interesting to read on Salon.

It makes me sad to see Sidney Blumenthal in this light, someone I once respected but who apparently did not deserve it any more than the Clintons. There are a few more-- Larry Johnson, Taylor Marsh, and most painfully Joe Wilson-- that from now on I will always think of mainly as haters and attempted destroyers of a Democrat I admire. Yet one day they might redeem themselves. Not for their opposition to Obama, which is fair game, but for their transparent and eager embrace of Republican slime tactics. (And in Johnson's case for racism.) However, as with Paglia and Sullivan, from now on I'll read anything from these characters with a high degree of skepticism. But the "dead to me" stuff-- let the Clinton supporters have a monopoly on that.

CYD

[Adelante]

73. Blumenthal's not the only one from the Clinton campaign

Clinton Camp Pushes O-Bomber Links: Ignores Her Own Radical Ties

By JUSTIN ROOD
Feb. 22, 2008


The Hillary Clinton campaign pushed to reporters today stories about Barack Obama and his ties to former members of a radical domestic terrorist group -- but did not note that as president, Clinton's husband pardoned more than a dozen convicted violent radicals, including a member of the same group mentioned in the Obama stories.

"Wonder what the Republicans will do with this issue," mused Clinton spokesman Phil Singer in one e-mail to the media, containing a New York Sun article reporting a $200 contribution from William Ayers, a founding member of the Weather Underground, to Obama in 2001. (Obama's ties to the radical group first surfaced last week in a Bloomberg News article.)

In a separate e-mail, Singer forwarded an article from Politico.com reporting on a 1995 event at a private home that brought Obama together with Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, another former member of the radical group.

Opting to leave any attacks on the issue to the GOP may be wise, as attacks from Clinton could backfire. In his final day in office, President Clinton pardoned another one-time member of the Weather Underground, Susan L. Rosenberg, after she had served 16 years in prison on federal charges.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4330128&page=1

According to this, a right wing Brit was first to raise Obama-Ayers in February, followed closely by an anti-Obama (pro-Clinton) site, and two weeks later by Politico, with Bloomberg and WaPo in between. On the date of the Politico piece, February 22, ABC published the information that the Clinton campaign was pushing Obama-Ayers with the media.

How Obama and the radical became news

It began as a blog entry in 2005 from a woman to the left of Barack Obama. It turned into a conservative cause célèbre. Then it entered the mainstream consciousness in a prime-time debate on ABC.

-snip

When Obama became a presidential contender, it was conservatives who picked up on the story. On Feb. 2, conservative British writer Peter Hitchens mentioned Ayers in a piece titled "The Black Kennedy: but does anyone know the real Barack Obama?" in the London Daily Mail. A week later, a mention of Ayers appeared in an anti-Obama blog known as Rezko Watch.

Soon, the story turned up in the mainstream American press: in the Bloomberg news service, a Washington Post blog, and the New York Sun. An overview of the Ayers-Obama connection, published on Politico.com on Feb. 22, circulated widely on the Internet.

At that point, conservative bloggers began to question whether the major media organizations would challenge Obama on the relationship.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/18/how_obama_and_the_radical_became_news/?page=full

[democrattotheend]

78. Sickening

Not surprising, but truly sickening.

[Adelante]

86. It is certainly that nt

[DogPoundPup]

100. 8 years of this bushshit just isn't enough?

[Coexist]

75. don't tell me not to call her a bitch. ok?

this pisses me off to no end.

I'm going to make another 50 phone calls for Obama.

Damn her and her sleazy right-wing campaign. Damn her.

[democrattotheend]

76. I still don't like to use bitch.

But this makes me so mad that I am seriously questioning whether I could vote for her in the general. I try to vote on the issues and not on character but this is despicable and if she and her minions manage to bring down a candidate I genuinely respect with this kind of crap I am going to have a really hard time voting for her.

[Bette Noir]

122. Since "bitch" is automatically tagged as an anti-feminist attack,

I've resolved to call her a "bastard." If it's good for McCain, it's good for Hill.

[VotesForWomen]

144. hey, it's okay. sometimes you have to call a black man a boy and a n*gger; you know, when he "deserv

"deserves it." Right?... right? oh wait.. maybe not; cuz it's never okay to make race (non-white) based insults, but it's perfectly okay to make gender (female) based insults whenever you get mad and throw a tantrum. I understand that in the heat of infatuation with Obama, his followers may not be able to maintain the highest standards of behavior, but when you start throwing the B-word around, you're still going to get called on it.

[dionysus]

175. whatever. blumenthal is a shady little bitch....

got a problem with that? :shrug:

[ut oh]

178. Ok fine no b-word?

Hillary has turned into a grade A Asshole....

The fact that she has people working in her campaign doing this....

And to think there's people on here that are support and excusing that type of BS... wow...

[davidthegnome]

189. I must agree with you on one point

It is not at all appropriate to call her a bitch. Rather, allow me to find a more suitable description.

How's this... lying, egotistical, self-centered bigot? A rather accurate description of your favored candidate. I have no infatuation where it regards Senator Obama, I simply prefer him over the other two - especially Clinton. At least McCain admits to being a Republican.

To think that you, of all people (as a Clinton supporter) are suggesting "higher standards of behavior" - when considered in light of the current situation at hand... just, wow. You want others to hold to higher standards of behavior? Then by all means, start doing so yourself. You can do this by, quite simply, admitting your candidate has made a grievous mistake. By holding her accountable for her actions.

With that said - personally, I find bitch to be a rather generous compliment of this potential nominee. Therefor I won't do her the honor of calling her one. Personally, I find female dogs to be much better behaved. I will not insult innocent dogs by implying that HRC is at all similar to them. They at least, tend to be loyal.

Highest standards of behavior indeed. LOL.

[democrattotheend]

85. Does anyone have that list of media outlets we can send this to?

[Melinda]

96. calimary's Activist list of media outlets w/contact info (from DU Activist Forum)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=8816#8817

Granted it's a bit long in the tooth, but most should be good.

Hope this helps. :hi:

[UndertheOcean]

88. disgusting

[writes3000]

90. They're repulsive. n/t

[democrattotheend]

91. Help get this out there

So far I don't think it's gotten any TV coverage

[Zodiak]

92. This is what the DLC is

They expend their energies destroying anything resembling a Democrat because they get to own the party themselves. Why? So they get power and so you, the loyal Democrat, have to eat shit with no avenue for redress.

I am glad that this campaign is forcing all of this in the open. Over the next few months, expect to be shocked some more, and then be prepared to rebuild the party without the DLC. This is sorely needed.

[democrattotheend]

93. I just hope she fights this hard against McCain

But I'm not holding my breath. I haven't seen her fight this hard for anything as a senator.

[Zodiak]

94. They don't fight Republicans...the help enable Republicans

They fight you and me because the last thing the DLC wants is for Americans to have a party that works for them. It is too easy when both parties are co-opted.

[wiggs]

102. I'm sure you've heard her praises for McCain already. He's passed the CIC

threshold, in her opinion.

[eridani]

163. She won't. Bet on it. How can she counter Rethug memes when she's been agreeing with them? n/t

[democrattotheend]

95. Kicking

Don't want this to get buried.

[cui bono]

98. Sidney Blumenthal???

Wow.

[Rose Siding]

116. It's really sad

I used to have so much sympathy for what he and his family endured during the Clinton years. Looks to me that the hardships altered his spirit.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

101. This only reaffirms for me the reasons why I need to vote for...

...Obama in November. The Bush/Clinton reign and their crimes against the people ends NOW!

[ProSense]

103. When will Hillary address this? n/t

[redsoxrudy]

104. This will not sink in with the Hillbots.

I'm sure in all the pro-hillary posts out there you still are going to read that it is Obama doing the smearing.

[uponit7771]

111. I don't think they're are dems at this point, Bill said it correctly: someone screwed Hill bad

[Lilith Velkor]

118. Couldn't possibly be Republicans

They are honest, and have no interest in seeing us divided and conquered.

:eyes:

[rateyes]

114. I thought he was a good guy. I don't think that now.

What a slimy, sleazy, shitty thing to do. :(

[disndat]

127. Sidney Blumenthal is

one sick puppy and needs help. Kudos to Katrina Vanden Heuval who has the integrity to publish this article on Blumenthal's scurrilous efforts on behalf of Clinton's campaign. Vanden Heuval and S. Blumenthal were 'once' close friends. S. B.'s son is on the staff of Vanden Heuval's "Nation" magazine. Of course, the sins of the parent shall not be visited upon the children.

[ekwhite]

115. There appear to be no depths to which the Clinton campaign refuses to sink

It is amazing to me how nasty the Clinton campaign has gotten against a fellow Democrat. In the meantime, she is all smiles with Bill O'Reilly. Hillary "God Bless Us Rich People" Clinton and her cohorts are simply disgusting.

[NashVegas]

119. So What?

[Evergreen Emerald]

120. was it that harry and Louise flyer lying about Clinton's healthcare?

Was it the e-mail to the press calling Clinton "Racist!"
Was it the e-mail to the press asking when they were going to start doing stories on Bill Clinton's affairs?
Was it the e-mails to the press lying about Clinton and calling her "Punjab?"


Oops. No. That was all Obama. Negative, rightwing.

[democrattotheend]

133. Obama's campaign did the flyer openly and owned up to it

And I am not familiar with those other e-mails to the press. I did hear that an Obama staffer whispered privately to a reporter a question about whether they would ever look into Bill's post-presidential sex life. Can you provide links?

[eridani]

164. She called herself the Senator from Punjab. Update your information n/t

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

123. Push Polls in NC, Robo Calls deceiving African American Voters

Newt Gingrich endorsing Hillary on the media circuit the other day,
saying what a great candidate and how brilliant she was.

Rush Limbaugh GOTV effort for Hillary.

Bill's silent race whistle to Bubbas across the country.

Hillary doesn't think Obama is a secret muslim, not as far as she knows...

CNN = Clinton News Network, and Joe Dead Intern Scarboro trying to manipulate the
week minded.

Oh and Pastor Wright, Pastor Wright......

[carolinayellowdog]

125. Makes me rethink the Hitchens impeachment involvement

At the time and ever since I have seen Christopher Hitchens as a disgusting villain of the Clinton impeachment, someone who opportunistically turned on a friend to create a political spectacle. But his accusation against Blumenthal was that he was a Clinton slimemeister spreading lies about Monica. And now we know he's a Clintonista slimemeister spreading lies about Barack. Hitchens is still disgusting, but why was Blumenthal friends with someone like him in the first place?

[literacyadvocate]

128. All our doubts about stealing ideas from Karl Rove's handbook...

have come true...The next job offering for Sidney Blumenthal will be offering "Punditry" on "Faux" news

[VotesForWomen]

134. yeah, any criticism of Obama is a right-wing dirty trick. yawn. nt

[democrattotheend]

138. Did you read the article?

The premise of the article has been that a senior Clinton aide has been covertly passing along right wing propaganda. If Clinton chooses to employ that strategy that's fine, but she should own up to it and be held accountable. When she called out Obama for sending negative mail he took responsibility for it.

[FlaGranny]

147. You're really

OK with this? I can't believe anyone would be and I'd be ashamed to admit it if I were, that's for certain.

[madrchsod]

137. clinton`s friends protest in front of the dnc

hillary`s right hand man is exposed on the one of the most popular political websites in america...

meanwhile obama has taken the high road,his people has signed up more new voters than any democrat has ever done,and has raised more individual contributions than any one in history.

he is in the lead in delegate and popular vote and can not lose either by the end of the primaries.

tonight and tomorrow there will be many supers making up their minds on who is the true leader of our party.

[Gman]

142. BFD

The Obama campaign has been using right wing propaganda against Hillary for months now. Why squeal when it's your candidate? Why didn't you say anything when they were doing it to Hillary with RW propaganda.

Hell, there have been Vince Foster OP's right here at DU.

[democrattotheend]

145. DUers are not the same thing as senior campaign staff

And for the record, I have criticized DUers for posting right wing crap about Clinton here.

[defendandprotect]

143. Who's Sidney Blumenthal -- ??? Like the GOP they can't win honestly --- so dirty tricks!

[Zachstar]

146. Interesting

[FlaGranny]

148. After reading the entire article,

it is quite clear where some of the people on this board are getting their strange ideas about Obama - straight from the far right, with the assistance of the Clinton camp.

[milkyway]

152. The Karl Rove wing of the Democratic Party has been very busy lately.

[Lord Helmet]

153. the Clinton campaign is composed of assholes

[democracy1st]

155. Freakin Clintons they keep pulling this crap and nothing sticks to them

[MattP]

156. Why no MSM coverage?

So a story on Obama saying something at a fundraiser get shot up the Media food chain in about two seconds but this story is only on a couple of blogs and I doubt it will even be mentioned on TV at all, WTF is up with that.

[ForeignSpectator]

167. Liberal media, that's what's up... n/t

[barack the house]

157. I thought so much of Sydney. Randi said this was going on too weeks ago...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3qOi_l1RGY

[tishaLA]

159. disappointing

but not surprising. I have come to expect the worst during this campaign season, and I haven't been let down yet.

[GetTheRightVote]

160. After the Robo calls in NC, I am no longer surprise at what HRC and her people will do

that is way everyone should be supporting the better candidate, Obama.

[CreekDog]

161. one thing is for sure

Hillary sure has got the assholes working for her. :eyes:

[jeff30997]

166. Oh! Well then...

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.
I got love in my tummy,
And I feel like a-lovin you:
Love, you're such a sweet thing,
Good enough to eat thing
And that's just a-what I'm gonna do.

Sorry.I had that song in my head and

I thought it was the best place to post it.*

*DISCLAIMER:Jeff30997 is not associated with

Hillary Clinton,George W Chimp,John Mc Lame or Al Capone(aka Dick Cheney)in any way.

This post is just a weird expression of approval of the OP.:)

[Wetzelbill]

168. Sidney Blumenthal always answered my emails to him...

I always liked him. I think "The Clinton Wars" is the definitive book on the Clinton presidency and should be used as a college textbook, and I have been an avid reader of Sidney's columns for over 5 years now. He is smart, talented and an excellent political thinker.

Which makes me wonder wtf he would stoop so low by doing this? This is a downright awful thing to do. Criticize Obama. Do it legitimately, and do it the right way, because lord knows any politician has legit things you can critique him on. You don't like his policies? Fine, rip him up on them. You think Hillary would make a better president? Good, make your case. But don't sink to a Karl Rove shitheel level and do something like this. It's beneath any good Dem to do this, and that goes for either side. I can tell you this, I don't like a few things Obama's staffers have done, like the memo that sought to go after Bill Clinton on racial issues. That was pretty low. But it seems that things like this for the Clinton campaign have become par for the course. It's like they will sink to any level to do damage on Obama. It's ugly, and has made me lose so much respect for several people who I have highly respected for over 15 years now.

[rainlillie]

170. If Hilary is using the same tactics on Obama ...

that Bush used on Gore and Kerry, stand up and say it's wrong! If you don't, when a Republican does it, how in the world can you complain? For the last seven years I've been knocking heads with Bush supporters who have overlooked everything that he has ever done, and now I see that same zombie like behavior coming from some Democrats.

Hilary said she would "obliterate Iran"! That' s just as mindless, cold and extreme as anything the Bush administration or McCain has ever said, yet some Democrats stay silent and avoid any criticism of Hilary. That's the hypocrisy that bugs the hell out of me! If McCain said "as far as I know" Obama isn't a Muslim, Democrats would be up in arms. Apply the same standards to one of your own that you would apply to others!

What would Hilary have to do in order for you to speak out against her?
How can you look the other way when Hilary, as the Times said, "used the bloody shirt of 9/11" in her last campaign ad before the Pennsylvania primary? The New York Times endorsed Hilary, but they had enough integrity to point how despicable it was.

Obama supporters didn't divide the Democratic party, it started the day Hillary began her "scorched earth", "kitchen sink" strategy against Obama.

My advice to anyone supporting Hilary? Channel your energy to her campaign staff and implore them to close the "kitchen door", turn off her "flame thrower" and discard Karl Rove's playbook, and start treating Obama like he is one of her fellow Democrats!

[Indenturedebtor]

177. Yeah I don't know how they can doublethink all of this away

For months you've been seeing her behave like this, and somehow they manage to say that Obama is doing the same thing with no evidence, and that somehow makes it ok for Clinton to behave like a RW slime.

Her campaign is utterly revolting.

[lilyannerose]

171. As far as I'm Concerned

Herr Karl seems to be the man behind curtain of the Clinton campaign.

[yardwork]

179. This is disgusting. Why has it taken so long for this to be reported?

Sid Blumenthal, a senior Clinton aide, has been emailing attacks on Obama's character for months to everyone, and this is the first we hear of it?

[1trackmindGOP]

180. Hillary Clinton ready on day 1

To be a lying, cheating, unethical and disloyal politician that reaches the levels of Karl Rove. Go away Hillary...we now know who you are and Frankly...I am nauseated by your disgraceful campaign.

[WillyT]

181. K & R !!!

:kick:

[madmom]

183. I'm going to play devil's advocate here, just because I want to, but going with a notion

that was displayed here last week when Rev Wright said what he said about Obama and some DUers insisted "he was being paid by the Clinton camp", what if someone were to come and turn that around and say the same thing here because they wanted to make sure Clinton went down big time because according to some polls she's made a bit of a come back.Just wanted to throw that out there and see what it catches.

[diane in sf]

186. Disgusting

[ashevillepolitics]

191. From Asheville, NC: Hillary: SOLUTIONS 4 A STRONG MILITARY

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton appears enthusiastic as she campaigns with a message of “Solutions for a Strong Military” in a packed Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown Asheville last Thursday night.
http://www.ashevilledailyplanet.com/