The Guardian: Kerry decries smear campaign on Obama

Kerry decries smear campaign against Obama

Ewen MacAskill in Columbia, South Carolina

Wednesday January 23, 2008

John Kerry, the Democratic candidate in the 2004 presidential election, today made an extraordinary intervention on behalf of Barack Obama, accusing his opponents of stooping to "Swiftboat" smear tactics to destroy the black senator's presidential ambitions.

Kerry, whose presidential bid was wrecked by innuendo and lies about his Vietnam service as a Swiftboat officer on the Mekong river, did not name the Clintons, but they appeared to be the main target of his outburst.

"The fight is just heating up. We won't let them steal this election with lies and distortions," he said.


His comments came amid signs of a backlash in the Democratic party, especially among African-Americans, at the way that Hillary and Bill Clinton have gone about taking Obama apart during the past fortnight.


Some of the energy has seeped out of the Obama campaign in the past 48 hours, but the candidate, seeking to become the first black president, is hoping for a lift by winning the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

...

Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, endorsed Obama last month, despite his long friendship with Bill Clinton. It was an important endorsement, giving heart to other members of Congress who had been dithering about supporting Obama for fear of antagonising the Clinton machine.


But it is a big jump for Kerry to go from endorsement to criticism of the former president and his spouse, even if indirectly. He described as "disgusting lies" allegations on the internet about Obama's religion and record of public service.


"I support Barack Obama because he doesn't seek to perfect the politics of Swiftboating - he seeks to end it," he said. "This is personal for me, and for a whole lot of Americans who lived through the 2004 election."


Obama's campaign team, seeking to learn from Kerry's mistakes in that election, has set up what it calls a "truth squad' to rebut allegations.

I am writing you today out of my DISAPPOINTMENT by the MEDIA, THe Clinton's (Billary), and the National Democratic party. I can PROMISE you I am NOT alone in this. There are MANY who have become litterly SICK to out stomachs over how Sen. Barack Obama has been treated. I see why they call CNN (Clinton News Network) Fox News (Bush and the Republicans) and MSNBC, CBS, ABC ( Are RACIAL and VERY divisive. I see why they call the Democratic party the "group of Jelly-backs" because there is NO way on EARTH the the NDP shoud allow Bill or Hillary Clinton to BASH and LIE and RACIAL divide this Party and this Country.

I am a PROUD College-graduate with a sucesseful job and income that was raised to be a Democrat my ENTIRE life. After this situation if Sen. Obama is NOT elected as the Democratic Nominee I will OFFICIALLY change parties!!!

Atleast with the republican machine, they are honest to let African - Americans know that they don't care about us. After this situation it is my belief that The Clintons were intimidated with Sen. Obama's win in Iowa, with not only African-Americans, but older and younger white voters and women and they saw their "Entitled Presidency" being threated that they decided to LIE and bring up RACE to make "White" voters leave Obama and "black" voters doubt him.

This ENTIRE process has been AWFUL!! THe news lies and twist the stories, the Democratic party does not stand up for the RIGHT canidate, and the Clinton's only care about themselves.

If Sen. Obama does not get the nomination not only will I LEAVE the democratic party but I will PERSONALLY talk to ANY and EVERY news media, person whether they are black, white, latino, old, you, low income, middle income, or high income as to the LIES that the Democratic Party and the Clintons embottle.

Only Sen. Kerry has stood up for him b/c YOU have done him the same way. We stand by you as you LIE year after year to get elected, NEVER passing bills or raising pay, but ALWAYS take millions of dollars for YOURSELf. YOU don't stand for the PEOPLE or the TRUTH you ONLY stand for LIE, MONEY, RATINGS, and Personal gain. And as an African-American woman, they way the Democratic black Caucus has been, THEY NEED TO BE DONE AWAY WITH TOO!!!!

I PRAY God have mercy on your soul and the reason we have SO MUCH PASSION for Sen. Obama is b/c he seems to be the ONLY one left in Washington that care about the truth, the common man, and making the world better.
Everyone talks about Pres. Bush, but TODAY Pres. Clinton is NO BETTER and Bush lied about the War, but Pres. Clinton LIED about SOOO many things.

I don't understand how you can sleep at night with yourselves. One day the world will end and YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER for EVERYTHING you've done!

TODAY is the Time to stand up against LIES of the "Clinton" Dynasty!!! 28 years of Bush/Clinton are ENOUGH. I am convienced that they are ALL in on it together and there is NO real problem between "democrats and republicans".

If you DON'T stand up TODAY for Sen. OBAMA, you will pay later because I PROMISE the Democrats WILL not have the White House in November and there will be A LOT of NEW Representatives and Senators. You must have forgot YOU WORK FOR THE AMERICAN people, NOT the other way around!!!!

Al Gore, Ted Kennedy should STAND up. What's so SAD to my heart is that not only will this tear the party up, BUT it WILL turn people off from the political process and the news and WE ARE NOT BETTER than IRAN, IRAQ, or anyone else we like to point the finger at. They kill people, but WE CHARACTER kill people as you have done with Sen. Obama and Sen. Kerry.

AMERICAN as whole wants CHANGE but the powers that be DOESN'T!!!

Sen. Obama's campaign is not just a Campaign BUT A MOVEMENT that regardless to what the MEDIA says is beyond, black, white, lation, women, men, old, young, rich and poor. I have SOOO much love for my Obama "brothers" and sisters". WE ARE THE NEW AMERICA whether you like it or not and the people are to the point that WE WILL NOT let you win this time and CHANGE WILL HAPPEN whether you like it or not. Look at ALL of your positions closely today, if you are not HONEST in this WE will elect you ALL out and write to the news stations until we get NEW Anchors that are JUST and FAIR. Do you think Bill Clinton cares about people. He will take his 20 Million dollar from Duabi and walk in the sunset, but as someone who as been sick before he should be careful BECAUSE GOD has a Way to HUMBLE you all to the breaking point. NEVER under- estimate the POWER of Prayer!!!!!

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For the first time in my life, I may have to vote Republican, or abstain from voting altogether. I have always trusted the Democratic party to represent truth and integrity, and this is the perfect time, politically and socially, for the Democratic party to rise up and unite for a better America. If Hillary Clinton is our candidate, a candidate who represents lies and deceit, emptiness and division, then I pray for the future of our country. Anybody or any organization who stands behind blatant lies shall NEVER have my support. If we do not come out against the spinning, the lies, the Rovian tactics, we are no better than bible-thumping, bigoted, right-wing extremists, and we will fall apart. This is our time to stand up and be strong; we have been waiting for this. Don't throw away this chance to do something GOOD for our country.

Poll Watchers Needed


If the last two elections taught us anything, it taught us that you have to be ready to fight irregularities and confusion in our voting system. I’m writing to you and other attorneys because I saw first hand the important work lawyers did for my brother’s campaign on election day, and Barack Obama can use the same effort.

We’ve now had three contested contests for the nomination, and all of them had at least some reports of voter confusion or even irregularities in the voting process. The Obama campaign could use the professional help of capable attorneys to make sure our democratic process runs smoothly and accurately reflects the will of the people.

If you’re interested in helping out, please email and let them know your interest. They still need people to help this weekend in South Carolina, so time is of the essence. The primary is on Saturday; a training seminar will be held on Friday.

Our voting system is losing the confidence of the American people. We need to do all we can to ensure a fair and clean election process, and we attorneys have a special role we can play.

I hope you can help with this important effort.


Sincerely,

Cam Kerry

This year, the attacks are already starting. Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email. These attacks smear Barack's Christian faith and deep patriotism, and they distort his record of more than two decades of public service. They are nothing short of "Swiftboat" style anonymous attacks."

We need you to email the truth to your address books. Print it out and post it at work. Talk to your neighbors. Call your local radio station. Write a letter to the editor. If lies can be spread virally, let's prove to the cynics that the truth can be every bit as persuasive as it is powerful.

So when your inbox fills up with trash and the emails of smear and fear, find the facts, and help defeat the lies.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/factcheckactioncenter/


BARACK OBAMA and FAITH

Barack Obama is a committed and active Christian. He has been a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago for 20 years, where he continues to attend services with his family. Barack has never been a Muslim or practiced any other faith besides Christianity, and in January 2005 he was sworn into the U.S. Senate on his family Bible.


BARACK OBAMA and HIS CHURCH

Trinity United Church of Christ is the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ. It is part of a liberal denomination that was the first to ordain an African American, a woman, and a gay man. Congregants have described it in the New York Times as a "warm and accepting community," and while it is a predominantly African American congregation, people of all backgrounds attend and are enthusiastically welcomed.


BARACK OBAMA and PATRIOTISM

Barack Obama has been a community organizer, a civil rights attorney, and taught constitutional law for a decade. In both the Illinois and U.S. Senate he tackled ethics reform and has been an aggressive advocate for veterans rights. Barack's grandfather taught him to say the Pledge of Allegiance, and he regularly leads his fellow Senators as they recite it together.