From BuzzFlash: Clinton Campaign Dirty Trick Against Obama on Choice Will Backfire

[WillyT]

Clinton Campaign Dirty Trick Against Obama on Choice Will Backfire

Submitted by mark karlin on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 10:30am. EditorBlog
BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

Mark Karlin, Editor and Publisher, BuzzFlash.com

January 6, 2008

BuzzFlash has had a policy of not endorsing Democratic candidates in primaries because we think our readers should decide who they want to represent them. We admit to a bit of an Obama/Edwards tilt in our coverage, but we would support whoever the Democratic nominee is. Certainly, Hillary Clinton is extraordinarily well-qualified to become president.

That being said, some of the Clinton campaign tactics are starting to tick us off big-time, because they are dirty tricks claiming things that have been disproven. In particular, the Clinton campaign resurrected a warmed-over accusation that because Barack Obama voted present on some abortion bills when he was state senator here in Illinois, he is not fully behind choice for women.

Yet, as was the case in Obama's senate race, this was clearly disproven by the head of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, who says that Obama was a strong supporter of choice. A recent Associated Press article confirms: "During his eight years in the legislature, Obama cast a number of votes on abortion and received a 100 percent rating from the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council for his support of abortion rights, family planning services and health insurance coverage for female contraceptives. He voted against requiring medical care for aborted fetuses who survive, a vote that especially riled abortion opponents."

Yet the Clinton campaign, even after being chastised for being dishonest about Obama's choice record during the Iowa Caucuses race, is continuing to use this false accusation in New Hampshire -- and has continued to feed the misleading attack to the national press.

It involves a practice allowed in the Illinois Senate of voting present on some bills. Obama, at the request of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, voted present on some abortion bills in order to attract Republicans and wavering Democrats because if enough of them voted present the offensive bills would be defeated by allowing them an option other than voting yes. In short, according to the head of Planned Parenthood of Illinois at that time, Obama was doing what they asked of him.

"The poor guy is getting all this heat for a strategy we, the pro-choice community, did," said Pam Sutherland, president and CEO of the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council.

The misleading and dishonest attack on Obama isn't even original. As we said -- and we know because BuzzFlash is in Chicago and obviously follows politics in Illinois -- it was used by Democratic primary opponents during Obama's senate run. (The Linked column from the Chciago Tribune was first published on March 19, 2004.)

As for the effectiveness of that dirty trick then, we have a message for the Clinton campaign: Obama won.

BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

Link: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/027

Looks like in this presidential campaign season, everybody is stealing the cather's signals!

:shrug:

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Is this the dirty trick or the counter dirty trick or the dirty trick that

wasn't a dirty trick?

[papau]

2. Were there 130 planned parenthood votes - no - the analysis show something else

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Bush jerks us around with context shifts and half-truths.

I won't vote for anyone even remotely resembling that.

[babylonsister]

4. Recommend! nt

[creeksneakers2]

5. Negative campaigning isn't helping Hillary

If not for negative campaigning, she'd still be in the lead. Her numbers dropped significantly right after she started it.

[davsand]

6. If Planned Parenthood is good with him then he's probably above reproach on the issue.

I've seen a few of the choice endorsements in Illinois that I thought were maybe kinda shaky, but not PP. They don't (forgive the expression) screw around with this stuff.


Laura

[mopinko]

7. slightly ot- buzzflash visits obama's barbershop.

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/video/004

[City Lights]

8. But that won't stop Hillary's fans from using it to try and smear him.

The info you posted above was posted in another thread yesterday, and the Hillary fans talked over, under, around, and through it. It didn't make one bit of difference to them. :shrug:

[Bitwit1234]

9. I guess as usual the dirty tricks of Obama always get a pass.

He accused her of stealing a word...course we all know the dictionary belongs to him.

He accused her of having Novak in her pocket and telling him lies about him. Never heard any of those lies did you all.

He accused her of stealing his health care plan. If I remember correctly when they had the health care program in New Mexico this summer. Hillary was the only one who gave a complete program. Edwards had started one but he wanted to finish it off. AND OBAMA DIDN'T HAVE DOODDLY SQUAT. But now since the republican MSM parrots what he says, per orders of the corporate masters, he says she is stealing...Damn this guy has more dirty tricks than rove...oh wait...I bet that's where he's getting them--- rove thru Liberman.

[WillyT]

10. More Here:

<snip>

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton criticizes rival Barack Obama's record on abortion rights in a mailing sent to New Hampshire voters — her first direct attack on the Illinois senator since his victory in Iowa.

The mailer says that seven times during his time in the Illinois state Senate, Obama declined to take a position on abortion bills, while Clinton has been a defender of abortion rights.

During his eight years in the legislature, Obama cast a number of votes on abortion and received a 100 percent rating from the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council for his support of abortion rights, family planning services and health insurance coverage for female contraceptives. He voted against requiring medical care for aborted fetuses who survive, a vote that especially riled abortion opponents.

He also joined other state Democrats in voting present on some bills.

The mailing comes amid division within the Clinton campaign over how negative to go against Obama after his victory Thursday in the Iowa caucuses. The campaign has made a decision to hold off on any television advertising, positive or negative, until after a nationally televised debate Saturday night.

And...

During the Iowa campaign, the Clinton campaign criticized Obama's position on health care in Iowa. But she is taking a different approach in New Hampshire.

"A woman's right to choose," the mailing says on the front, then flips to the back, "demands a leader who will stand up and protect it."

It says Clinton has a record of fighting "far-right Republicans" to defend abortion rights, while Obama has been "unwilling to take a stand on choice."

"Seven times he had the opportunity to stand up against Republican anti-choice legislation in the Illinois state Senate," it says. "Seven times he voted present — not yes or no, but present. Being there is not enough to protect choice.

"On January 8 you have a choice," it closes. "Vote for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, Tuesday, Jan. 8."

The mailer says "Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President" and has a return address of her office in Manchester. Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said the campaign decided to send the piece because "as Senator Obama has said, `voting records matter.' This is a critical issue for New Hampshire voters and they deserve a straightforward presentation of the facts about both candidates."

<snip>

Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ip2G-tP8Bkle1aHygW4mJQOT5FrQD8U01RF83

:shrug:

[K Gardner]

11. I love Mark Karlin ! He tells it like it is.