Obama Camp on negative dishonest attacks: Hillary "will say or do anything to get elected”

Response and Backup from Obama Campaign

“In her newest negative, dishonest attack, Clinton claims that Obama praised Republican ideas apparently in an attempt to obscure her record of voting for Republican ideas like bankruptcy, NAFTA and, of course, the war in Iraq. That fact that Hillary Clinton has praised Ronald Reagan and supported some of the very worst Republican ideas just underscores that she will say or do anything to get elected,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

NEWS SOURCES AGREE: CLINTON HAS BEEN MISREPRESENTING OBAMA’S COMMENTS ON REPUBLICANS

ABC News: “Bill Clinton is Spreading Demonstrably False Information.” ABC wrote, “Sen. Clinton twisted this into: ‘I have to say, you know, my leading opponent the other day said that he thought the Republicans had better ideas than Democrats the last ten to fifteen years.’ That’s not what Obama said. And in Buffalo, N.Y., former President Bill Clinton twisted this into Obama ‘said President Reagan was the engine of innovation and did more, had a more lasting impact on America than I did. And then the next day he said, ‘In the 90s the good ideas came out from the Republicans. Which it’ll be costly maybe down the road for him because it’s factually not accurate.’ What’s factually not accurate is what President Bill Clinton said. I know he wants his wife to beat Obama. And it seems that unleashing the Big Dog seems to be working for the Clinton campaign. Perhaps some voters are even touched by his passion. But let’s be clear — Bill Clinton is spreading demonstrably false information. There’s winning ugly, and there’s winning with honor. Does it matter? Or is all fair in politics and war?” http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/01/obama-v-clinton.html> >

Annenberg Foundation’s FactCheck.Org: Clinton Accusations About What Obama Said About Republican Ideas: “False.” Factcheck.org reported, “We can’t speak to how things ‘came across’ to Clinton, but we’ve listened to the entire interview and to our ears, it’s just flatly false that Obama said he ‘really liked the ideas of the Republicans.’ Clinton is referring to what Obama told the editorial board of the Reno Gazette-Journal. A video is available on the Internet…There’s a difference between praising someone for having ideas and praising the idea itself. Obama is doing the former – and just as clearly not doing the latter. He says the GOP approach has ‘played itself out,’ for example. It’s also false to imply — as Clinton did — that Obama endorsed Republican proposals to set up private Social Security accounts or that he praised deficit spending. We listened to the entire 49-minute interview, and Obama said no such thing.”

Washington Post Fact Checker: “It Seems Clear That The Former President Has Overstated The Case Against Obama In A Way That Distorts His Original Arguments.” “Hillary Clinton criticizing Obama for talking about “admiring Ronald Reagan” and saying that he “really liked” Republican ideas of the last 15 years….It is pretty standard fare for presidential campaigns to attack rival candidates by a selective use of quotes. Surrogates such as Bill Clinton are often assigned the role of attack dog. The Obama campaign is certainly not above such tactics itself. Obama probably opened himself up to attack by saying nice things about Ronald Reagan and the Republicans. In the three cases cited above, however, it seems clear that the former president has overstated the case against Obama in a way that distorts his original arguments.” http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/01/bill_the_attack_dog.html> >

ABC: Clinton Isn’t Backing Down On Her Claim Obama Said Republican Had All The Good Ideas Even Though It’s “Pretty Clearly Not What He Said.” ABC wrote, “And Sen. Clinton isn’t backing down — keeping up on this claim (a real stretch) that Obama claims Republicans had all the good ideas. Pretty clearly not what he said — and now I really want to see how Obama reacts — he looks like he’s steaming.” http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/01/live-blogging-4.html> >

Talking Points Memo: Hillary Intentionally Misrepresenting What Obama Said About Reagan. “Man, this can degenerate pretty quickly, can’t it? Each side got in a couple really low blows there. I still think Hillary is just intentionally misrepresenting what Obama said about Reagan. It makes me cringe. As much I like her, it makes me cringe.” <http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/>

Ben Smith: Obama Didn’t Say Republican Ideas Are Good Ideas. Ben Smith wrote that Obama “didn’t say Republican ideas are good ideas.” http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Some_factchecking_GOP_ideas_Rezko_boons.html> >

Stephanopoulos: Bill Clinton Took Obama’s Words Beyond What Obama Said. George Stephanopoulos said, “Now, clearly there, he did take Obama’s words beyond what Obama said, they’re going to have to be very careful about that,” in discussing Bill Clinton’s mischaracterization of Obama’s remark about Republican’s having challenged conventional wisdom over the past 10-15 years.

BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON ON REAGAN

Hillary Clinton: Reagan “Understood” Economic Pressures On The Working And Middle Class, “He Played The Balance And The Music Beautifully.” Tom Brokaw wrote, “As for the political climate in America, she (Clinton) understands that America has historically tilted toward the conservative side, with intermittent periods of what she calls ‘progressive energy.’ She also believes that modern conservatives such as Karl rove are ‘obsessed’ with defeating her. She prefers the godfather of the modern conservative movement, Ronald Reagan. He was, she says, ‘a child of the Depression, so he understood it . When he had those big tax cuts and they went too far, he oversaw the largest tax increase. He could call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and then negotiate arms-control agreements. He played the balance and the music beautifully.’ In 1969, who would have imagined that the Hillary Rodham on the Wellesley commencement stage would find herself thirty-eight years later paying tribute to Ronald Reagan?” <”Boom,” p. 404>

Bill Clinton Praised Reagan’s “Unflagging Optimism, His Proud Patriotism, His Unabashed Faith In The American People.” In dedicating the Reagan building, Bill Clinton said, “The only thing that could make this day more special is if President Reagan could be here himself. But if you look at this atrium, I think we feel the essence of his presence: his unflagging optimism, his proud patriotism, his unabashed faith in the American people. I think every American who walks through this incredible space and lifts his or her eyes to the sky will feel that…. This is a great day for our country. This is a day of honoring the legacy of President Reagan, remembering the service of President Wilson, and rededicating ourselves to the often difficult but ultimately always rewarding work of America. As I stand within the Reagan Building I am confident that we will again make the right choices for America, that we will take up where President Reagan left off — to lead freedom’s march boldly into the 21st century.” http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/19980505-1276.html> >

Bill Clinton Credited Reagan With Hastening The Collapse Of Communism. Under the headline, “Clinton Credits Reagan For Fall of Communism Policy Speeded Soviet Collapse, Democrat Says,” the Washington Post wrote, “Gov. Bill Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate who has tried to differentiate himself by tacking to the center on some key issues, said yesterday that former president Ronald Reagan’s defense buildup had hastened the collapse of Soviet communism. Breaking with the widespread position of liberals that Reagan’s military program had little to do with the Soviet system’s collapse, the Arkansas governor also praised Reagan’s ‘rhetoric in defense of freedom’ and his role in ‘advancing the idea that communism could be rolled back.’ Clinton made his comments during a meeting with editors and reporters at The Washington Post. ‘The idea that we were going to stand firm and reaffirm our containment strategy, and the fact that we forced them to spend even more when they were already producing a Cadillac defense system and a dinosaur economy, I think it hastened their undoing,’ Clinton said. Clinton was careful to add that the Reagan military program included ‘a lot of wasted money and unnecessary expenditure.’ He also noted that former president Jimmy Carter already had begun to increase military spending before he was defeated by Reagan in 1980, and that the nation’s containment strategy was the product of ‘four and a half decades of bipartisan foreign policy.’ Still, he said Reagan deserved credit for ‘the idea that he wanted to stand up to them.’” <10/17/91, Washington Post>

http://thepage.time.com/response-and-backup-from-obama-campaign/

The Hillary people are really getting vicious. I know we have lively discussions on DU, but never before have I seen such outright hypocrisy and meanness.

Hillary Clinton will do anything to get elected ...

... whereas Barack Obama is Fired-Up.

Yep. I'm eccentric, you're neurotic, and the guy we hate is batshit crazy.

:eyes:

--p!

None is ever given -- only hypersensitive "interpretations" of campaign statements and 20 years of the GOP disinfo campaign.

Hillary lies, but Obama merely makes the occasional mistake. Right?

--p!

I hope most people will see this for what it is. This is a "new" Bill Clinton--mean and negative, not the sunny, positive, smiling one from the 90s. A political pirhana willing to destroy anything in his/their way.

in order to win.

The Republicans flogged that dead horse first.

--p!

and act out..hope she goes down for it.

You're one of the leaders of the "Hillary-is-a-liar" pack.

What have you got on her? Most likely, nothing more than regurgitated Republican talking points. You'll have to start calling Hillary a "Republican" soon so no one will catch on.

So ... other than the fact that you don't like her, how is HRC a liar?

--p!

is floating in koolaid..you don't need no stinkin' evidence.

doesn't matter what or whom is harmed, they are all that matter. I cannot stand this level of selfishness, that's why I will never vote for Hillary.

reinterpret it, or whatever term you want to use. Then, when called on it, they shrug and continue to do it again. There is something incredibly wrong with that. Want to use what he said about Reagan? Fine. Just do it in an honest manner. And when you're fact-checked and proven wrong time and time again, then stop doing whatever it is you're doing.