NPR: Clinton Campaign Says Obama Acting Like "Ken Starr"

Clinton Campaign Says Obama Acting Like "Ken Starr"

Clinton senior adviser Ann Lewis scolds Obama for "going negative"

Apparently the Clinton campaign does not believe what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, as Obama chief strategist David Axelrod phrased it yesterday.
'
Axelrod also said the Clinton campaign threw the "kitchen sink" at Obama in the days before the March 4th primaries (with some success). But now that Obama has started a similar plan, a memo sent by Phil Singer on behalf of the Clinton campaign says Obama's "decision to go explicitly negative suggests that he is unable to make an affirmative case for his candidacy beyond ad hominem attacks."

Apparently, the Obama campaign's idea of new politics is to recycle the same old Republican attacks on Senator Clinton that have failed for years. Imitating Ken Starr is not the way to win the Democratic nomination.

In a conference all with reporters Thursday, Clinton senior adviser Anne Lewis also scolded Obama for attacking Clinton.

Brining up Ken Starr -- the independent prosecutor in the Whitewater investigation -- is an interesting decision for the Clinton campaign. On the one hand, they could be using it to try and link Obama with a figure most Democrats despise. On the other hand, they take the risk of reminding party members, and Americans in general, of the endless investigations that plagued the Clinton administration in the 90s.

12:28 PM ET | 03- 6-2008 | permalink

Comments

We can expect anything from Hillary. I can't believe a person can be so unfair and selfcentered. They always try to spin the things. Whatever states they win are the big wins and everything else off course does not matter. Unbelievable!!

Sent by Sara | 12:38 PM ET | 03-06-2008

Mommy make it stop.

Sent by George de Man, Rome GA | 12:43 PM ET | 03-06-2008

Finally the Obama group would be doing just what they need to do, and that is to fight.
Starting with Mark Rich. His wife's friend was Hillary.
There is little dispute about the basic facts of the case. The Belgian-born Rich, who became a multimillionaire commodities trader in the 1960s, fled the United States in 1983 after he was indicted on charges of tax evasion related to his oil-trading business, as well as violating the US ban on trade with Iran. Rich-owned companies paid $200 million in penalties for the tax charges. Many other US-based international oil companies paid similar fines and civil penalties for such infractions, under Department of Energy regulations which were abolished by the Reagan administration in 1984.
More to come.

Sent by TY | 12:54 PM ET | 03-06-2008

I'm not surprised by the actions of the
Hillary Clinton campaign, her husband or her surrogates. I think their actions go a long way to proving just how right the republicans were/are in their assessment of the Clinton's lack of any moral fiber...their sole goal is
apparently re-gaining power, and less
with what's good for the party. I'm also curious as to how many of these
so-called "black leaders" who are now supporting Hillary, when its time to cast their super delegate vote...will they vote the conscious of the very constituents they supposedly represent,
or will they continue to act like the plantation overseers?

Sent by Jay | 1:25 PM ET | 03-06-2008

Why did all sorts of people intervine on Rich's behalf, and why did Clinton pardon him on his way out the door?
Why can he not comeback after the pardon? Is he still donating to the Clinton Campaign?. This needs to be forwarded to Rush Limbaugh.

Sent by Monika | 2:59 PM ET | 03-06-2008

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