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Ear to the Ground

Clinton and Obama in ‘Scandal’ Feud

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Posted on Nov 19, 2007
Clinton and Obama
cnn.com

Conservative columnist Robert Novak initiated a scuffle between the Clinton and Obama campaigns over the weekend by reporting that “agents” of Hillary Clinton claimed to possess “scandalous” information about Barack Obama. Obama promptly accused the Clinton campaign of trying to “Swift-boat” him and demanded that the front-runner come clean.

Clinton’s communications director suggested in response that Obama’s inexperience allowed him to be “distracted” by a Republican trap. Who was actually responsible—and for what—remains a mystery. As in the Valerie Plame outing, only Novak knows the answer, and he isn’t telling us.


Politico:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) took the rare step of issuing a statement in his own name on Saturday to call attention to a report by columnist Robert D. Novak that New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign is sitting on “scandalous” information about Obama.

The information was not described and there is no proof it exists.

Obama accused Clinton of “swift boat politics” and vowed he will not be intimidated.

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By Jim H, November 20, 2007 at 1:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m sorry, babies, but Obama just got played by Novak, for God’s sake. He didn’t actually say anything. He just said that Clinton was in possession of a “scandal” and decided not to leak it. See how easy this ratfucking stuff is? Tip: read about Watergate, and Donald Segretti, and the Canuck letter. For starters. For the price of one blind item that says nothing, look was Rove/whoever got. A genuine “let’s you and him fight.” God, us Democrats are stupid sometimes. Especially that smart campaign advisor David Axelrod, that Obama’s got. He comes out of this looking like a fool.

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mackTN's avatar

By mackTN, November 19, 2007 at 11:21 pm Link to this comment

This has been going on for quite awhile, and from what I’ve heard from people who used to work for Obama, the mud may be have something to do with race and South Carolina—where else?  Always South Carolina.  Why Obama is always shown with white supporters and never in black audiences, never in the hood, never in HBCUs. 

I hadn’t even noticed this, and I don’t believe he has given up on black voters supporting him.  But Clinton put a couple of black state senators on her payroll long ago, which started the mess going on in that state, and there is a now infamous local NBC news video (wltx?) of them dissing Obama and his students in SC.

Hillary doesn’t want to bring South Carolina up, as her husband has quite a history there, as well.

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By cyrena, November 19, 2007 at 9:19 pm Link to this comment

#114512 by ocjim

•  “Why would anyone with integrity pay attention to his agenda-bound rants?”

Ocjim,

You’ve got a point, (as does everyone else here, with the exception of course of the hate monger Conservative Yankee). And, this is just off the top of my head of course…BUT, I think it’s because he (Obama) DOES have the integrity, that he would react this way.

I suspect it’s a knee-jerk reaction, just because of his own genuine sincerity. Hillary calls it his ‘inexperience’ that would make him react this way, but what that really translates to, is his so far lack of corruption and cynicism. Hillary is far more accustomed to dealing in dirty politics, (and to her credit, she DOES have ‘experience’ in this nastiness directed at her, so she would certainly see it for what it is, probably far better than he would). Now I know that’s certainly a backhanded way of giving her any sort of a compliment, but I think that’s the reality of it. It’s unlikely that she has anything of the sort, (dirt on Barack) because I don’t think even she would stoop that low. Still, we know the neocons would do this, and hopefully Barack knows it as well.

Still, I can’t say that I blame him for being paranoid. I was concerned more than a year ago, that the scumbags would do this, and it’s not the first time they’ve tried.
No doubt it won’t be the last either. There’s still a year to go, and who knows what the hell could happen.

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By thomas billis, November 19, 2007 at 12:18 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Why do democrats lose?An unattributed paragraph in a column by a traitor causes the two democratic frontrunners to squabble among themselves.If this does not call for both of them to attack the messenger I do not know what does.If this is the way the democratics are going to fight the republicans by in fighting then what are they going to do when the attacks really start to fly.How pathetic.

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By ocjim, November 19, 2007 at 11:14 am Link to this comment

Which brings us to the question, “Why doesn’t Novak have any accountability for outing an undercover CIA agent?” Another question, “Why would anyone with integrity pay attention to his agenda-bound rants?”

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By Neese, November 19, 2007 at 10:12 am Link to this comment

Excuse Me!!

Two front runners for President of the United States are listening to what Robert Novak has to say.

Folks we are really in trouble.

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By waxman, November 19, 2007 at 8:36 am Link to this comment

CONSERVATIVE YANKEE AND NOVAK TOGETHER HAVE AN I.Q. OF 69..SEND BOTH OF THEM TO THE DUMP.

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By Marsha L Jamison, November 19, 2007 at 8:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

What’s up with CNN? At the Las Vegas debate I watched Wolf Blitzer ask Clinton the first question to start the mud slinging. Now Novak’s off leash at CNN, but still lying for the GOP.

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By Dublin Joe, November 19, 2007 at 8:04 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Easy there big fella. Don’t let Hillaryland or the GOP hit squad pull you down to their level. I know you don’t want to repeat Bob Shrum’s wait-and-see mistake, but your hope and dignity are your most powerful weapons.

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By Conservative Yankee, November 19, 2007 at 6:00 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Ha Ha Ha!!!  Slime mud trash-talk.  I love a good election. I hope Hillary and Barak bury each other.

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