Obama Launches New Attack Line: Clinton Copies My Votes

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is launching a new line of attack on Sen. Hillary Clinton, accusing the Democratic presidential frontrunner of mimicking Obama's votes.

For the first time, Obama aides have publicly charged that Clinton waits for Obama to weigh in on controversial issues before taking the same stand, often to avoid creating disagreements that could be used as campaign ammunition.

"Democratic leaders are starting to count on Barack Obama for delivering two votes in the Senate - his and Senator Clinton's," Obama's spokesperson Ben Labolt told the Huffington Post on Thursday.

The comments echoed remarks on Wednesday by Obama's communications guru David Axelrod, who was asked on Hardball whether the senator would have voted for the contentious Kyl-Lieberman resolution -- which designates Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization -- had he not been on the campaign trail.

"Absolutely not," Axelrod declared. "He made that clear that day. And I venture to say that had he been there and voting on that perhaps Senator Clinton would not have voted that way either because, you know, Chris, lately every time he votes, she seems to vote after him, and seems to vote the same way. So maybe we could have spared her some of the difficulties."

The attack line reflects the increasingly aggressive campaign strategy that Obama has telegraphed, and plays into a larger critique that Clinton places caution over principle on the road to the White House. The Clinton campaign dismissed the accusation, though no officials would respond on the record.

In the past two months, as reported by ABC News, Obama did come out in his opposition to both Michael Mukasey's nomination for attorney general and Iraq War funding hours before Clinton. In May, moreover, Clinton was behind Obama in declaring her support for cloture on the high-profile Reid-Feingold amendment, which would have ended combat operations in Iraq within a year

It's not certain that Obama influenced Clinton's stance on any of these topics. And on the Lieberman-Kyl amendment as well as a resolution condemning MoveOn.org for their critical ad of Gen David Petraeus, Clinton cast a vote while Obama didn't.

"The fact is Barack Obama opposed giving the President the authority to go to Iraq and on Kyl-Lieberman he opposed giving the President a blank check on Iran," Labolt told the Huffington Post, when asked about these absences. "And on the day of the vote he issued a very clear statement again disagreeing with Sen. Clinton."

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

Attn California voters

once again, Dianne Feinstein has sold us out
She has offered her support for the Bush nominee for AG.

She continues to be an embarrassment to California
and to the Democratic Party.

Get this traitor out of the Senate!!!!!
Please contact her office and voice your disgust ...
AGAIN!!!!!!

[leftLibertarian]

Dude: Your message is WEAK.

Take mine.

America under an Obama Administration will make certain Bush and Cheney are tried for their crimes.

[xrayman]

We don't know what Obama would have done with his vote on Iran. It doesn't matter what he says, only how he votes. I can't respect that he criticizes Clinton's vote while he didn't have the nerve to vote himself. Only by voting is there a permanent public record of his stand on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment.

Really, what do we know about Obama other than he's against the Iraq war? Pat Buchanan was against the Iraq war.

We just know that he's not Hillary, but that's not enough.

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

I noticed Obama has a very non-combative campaign style, maybe because it's more of a vice presidential job to be an attack dog.

I don't know if this is a good strategy or not, but I do know that you're not going to taunt him into being more forceful and pointed in his attacks.

[ParacleteofKavorka]

Do great leaders 'lead' or do they spend their energy attacking their opponents? It seems all the time spent figuring out how to attack their opponents is not spent on leading.

[DCJoe]

98 senators voted on the resolution. Saint Barack did not. Enough said. Any right he had to criticize anyone on this was forfeited when he didn't even vote. He shot himself in the foot with this one.

[musetta]

Obama has missed nearly 24% of his votes. Hillary and the others could easily use this against him. Might be wise to quit bragging.

[nuglet304]

nothin y'all haven't already said, but after having the "audacity" to skip a vote on kyl-lieberman, i can't even believe obama and his campaign would have the balls to come out with this laughable statement today. i honestly can't believe it.

bad things for the obama campaign. and deservedly so, if this is their idea of strategy.

[ConcernAmerican]

This new attack plan of Obama against Hillary will backfire BIG TIME. First, Obama miss at least 88 votes for important bills in the senate floor, he was busy pimping his book. The latest absence of Obama was about voting for a bill about Iran, his flimsy excuse he could not fly back to DC to cast his vote as he was busy with his campaign, Hillary flew back to DC and cast her vote. When we talk of healthcare, Obama and Edwards copied Hillary.

Obama is one of those candidates who always play it safe at the same time show his teeth to attack another candidate when he has nothing to show to divert the attention of the public. In the case of Edward, what can you say about the man? He's not a senator anymore, he even lost in his own state, he's freewheeling attacking anyone he wishes to.

[SaintZak]

Why don't Hillary and Barak star in a new production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? and leave the presidential campaign to those who are really qualified?

[mountainmama]

Oh, I have more to say to Obama: do not ever push in our faces (again) a hate-filled person like McClerken (spelling?). If this person were antiblack (you are partly black) or antiwoman (I am a woman) the obvious would present itself to you. Please don't be stupid. (your mama)

[Ottovbvs]

This has to be the most wet and wimpy campaign statement I've ever heard. I think the Obama boomlet is going into terminal decline.

[mountainmama]

I do wish Obama had really voted, instead of telling us how he might have voted. I'm a long time Democrat who is looking for somone to vote for. I like both Edwards and Obama. But if some knight comes riding in from the hills with energy, conviction, and the right and good message, he (or she) will get my vote.There are a lot of us out here (I think polling indicates 70 percent) who are looking for a real solution.

[Qbear]

OBAMA CURED ME


(of wanting to vote for him)


or
BIGOTS FOR OBAMA

both t-shirts are being sold by AmericaBlog

which has a hundred times bigger queer population then Obama's website who at best had 20 gays/lesbi­ans...and now has NONE.

[Qbear]

Obama first that is the wimpiest statement from someone who wants to be commander in chief I've ever heard..."M­iss Jones, Hillary is copying my paper."

and you have MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS
"Final Word: Obama’s Anti-Gay Gospel Tour
So, there was a small group that protested the show last night and McClurkin apparently didn’t disappoint his fans.

He approached the subject gingerly at first. Then, just when the concert had seemed to reach its pitch and about to end, Mr. McClurkin returned to it with a full-blown plea: “Don’t call me a bigot or anti-gay when I have suffered the same feelings,” he cried.

“God delivered me from homosexuality,” he added. He then told the audience to believe the Bible over the blogs: “God is the only way.” The crowd sang and clapped along in full support.

While the events may help get some blacks to take another look at Obama, the negative impact in the gay community will go much further than South Carolina. Obama has a progressive stance on gay and lesbian issues and he can’t afford to miss any opportunity to get the word out. For now, all the LGBT community can hear is that crowd singing and clapping along with McClurkin.­"
http://gaycharleston.ccpblogs.com/2007/10/29/final-word-obamas-anti-gay-gospel-tour/