NPR: Former Foe of Clinton Turns His Sights on Obama

Former Foe of Clinton Turns His Sights on Obama

Apparently Sen. Hillary Clinton has a new fan -- her longtime foe Richard Mellon Scaife. The billionaire who was alleged to have funded many of the attacks on her husband during his presidency (think "vast right-wing conspiracy") says he admires the courage she showed recently when she ventured to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and answered questions from reporters. (It's a paper owned by Scaife -- he was in the room when she did the interview.) It was at the Tribune-Review session that Clinton made her first attack on Barack Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Perhaps she inspired Scaife. The Tribune-Review -- the same paper that ran so many articles in the 90s on how the Clinton were involved in the death of White House counsel Vince Foster -- is now running pieces that suggest, as Matt Yglesias at theAtlantic.com phrases it, "about how crazy black man Barack Obama and his crazy black church pastor are personally responsible for high rates of crime in the African-American community."

Ralph R. Reiland, described by the Tribune-Review as "an associate professor of economics at Robert Morris University and a local restaurateur," wrote an opinion piece about the high levels of black on black crime and how blacks commit more crimes than whites, etc. And he's just figured out why.

"Until I heard the racist and anti-American tirades of Barack Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, it hadn't occurred to me that the murderous fires in the black community were being stoked from the pulpits inside black churches. I wonder if it's ever occurred to Obama and Wright that it probably doesn't help young people in the black community when they're told that their country hates them, that the U.S. government gave them drugs and AIDS, and that jail and genocide are the officially-sanctioned plan for them."

The articles don't seem to be having a lot of effect so far. A SurveyUSA polls released today shows that Obama has cut Clinton's 31-point lead in southwestern Pennsylvania -- which includes Pittsburgh -- to 17 percent in the past three weeks.

Slate offers an interesting, to say the least, look at some of the things that Scaife has said and done over the years.

12:20 PM ET | 04- 1-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Laura Bush is visiting the Ukraine today. Maybe she should run for President in 2012. According to the Clinton campaign, this kind of "foreign policy experience" would qualify her.

Although, she'd have to make up a story about sniper fire and Mrs. Bush seems too honest for that...

In any case, I'm sure she'd have FoxNews, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and other Clinton-friendly outlets.

Sent by Frank | 1:28 PM ET | 04-01-2008

so does this mean we can look forward to tales of illinois state troopers about when they snuck out for a smoke with Barack and Tony?

can i sign up to be the next David Brock and be the next to cash in from both scaife and soros?

did barry kill laura palmer?

ahm just atwittering at the edge of my seat with all the suspense.

Sent by tim in exile | 1:33 PM ET | 04-01-2008

Hillary turns to Scaife (Scumbag billionaire owner of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). The fact that this guy is able to influence people goes to strengthen the notion that over 80% of the people would rather die than think.It is a sad state of affairs.

Sent by Ex-Republican | 1:39 PM ET | 04-01-2008

This is another non-story meant to demean Hillary Clinton and distract from the fact Obama belonged to a church that promoted hate for twenty years. Just because Scaife's paper is now printing these stories, the facts do not change. Obama did not distance himself from Rev. Wright until forced to.

Sent by Susan | 1:43 PM ET | 04-01-2008

"...run for president in 2012"

Haha. 2012 dude, 2012.

Sent by Jody Sol | 1:49 PM ET | 04-01-2008

Message to America: Obama and Wright are TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. Geesh.

Sent by Gerry Bayne | 2:07 PM ET | 04-01-2008

Obama exposed himself and his family to the crazy, paranoid, ignorant, illiterate rantings of that so-called "church."

I know that Wright isn't really saying anything all that different from the things you might read on hard left websites but centrists and middle America see's the rants as they really are; willfully anti-American paranoid rants. Just relaying the news from flyover country.

Sent by deek | 3:34 PM ET | 04-01-2008

This just in. The right wing is hoping for a Clinton Dem nomination.

Sent by TJ | 3:42 PM ET | 04-01-2008

My wife has the voting rights and I am trying to convince her to vote for Mr Obama. They both are good candidates and better qualified than Mr Bush and Mr Mccain. Remember! Mr Bush defeated Mr Mccain in 2004 primaries, suggesting that Mr Bush is better than Mr Mccain. So why take a chance with a lesser qualified candidate than Mr Bush!! Simple Indian Arithmatic!! I will buy her flowers if she votes for Obama!! Otherwise: I will buy flowers anyways!! being a husband!!

Sent by anser azim | 3:50 PM ET | 04-01-2008

What is the threshhold for indoctrination. How do you proof that Obama is indoctrinated?.
Some people can be indoctrinated in 30 minutes, others 1 hour, 1 week, 10 years, 30yrs etc.... Others never. Therefore 20 years proofs nothing.
Are the white congregation in Rev Wrights church also indoctrinated because they attend his church.
Are Catholic church goers indoctrinated to support abuse because they still go to the church.
This talk show right wing claim is spewed because they have little respect for our ability as the electorate to think. They constantly insult us by slicing and dicing.
Maybe McCain is indoctrinated because he had at least 30 minutes association with a controversial pastor.

Sent by Christy | 4:19 PM ET | 04-01-2008

It's pretty biased to quote the negative spin of Matt Yglesias at theAtlantic.com before the quote from the actual article in question.

In fairness this is a good question, and not racist, as Yglesias and NPR would have us believe: "I wonder if it's ever occurred to Obama and Wright that it probably doesn't help young people in the black community when they're told that their country hates them, that the U.S. government gave them drugs and AIDS, and that jail and genocide are the officially-sanctioned plan for them."

Shame on NPR for race baiting on Obama's behalf.

Sent by Jason | 12:40 AM ET | 04-02-2008

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