Obama Ad Compared To Nazi March On Clinton Call

[Note: Headline updated. See end.]

Ben Smith reports:

The Clinton campaign convened a conference call with health policy experts to denounce Obama's new mailer (.pdf), which attacks Clintons plan for "forcing" Americans to sign up for insurance, and which features a couple at a kitchen table that recalls, for some, the famous insurance-industry financed "Harry and Louise" ads against the original Clinton plan.

"I am personally outraged at the picture used in this mailing," said Len Nichols of the New America foundation, a leading supporter of mandatory insurance, who called it a "Harry and Louise evocation."

"It is as outrageous as having Nazis march through Skokie, Illinois," Nichols said. "I just find it disgusting that this kind of imagery is being used to attack the only way to get to universal coverage."

[Update: At the end of the call, Clinton aide Howard Wolfson disavowed the Nazi reference, saying the campaign didn't think it was appropriate, though he acknowledged the passions the issue stirs.]

Len Nichols served as the liaison between President Clinton's budget office and Mrs. Clinton health-care task force.

Here's the image in question:

Story continues below

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See the full mailer here. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, a frequent critic of Obama's, agrees with the claim that the ad evokes the "Harry and Louise" ads:

Sorry, but this is just destructive -- like the Obama plan, the Clinton plan offers subsidies to lower-income families. And BO himself has conceded that he might have to penalize people who don't buy insurance until they need care. So this is just poisoning the well for health care reform. The politics of hope, indeed.

But Obama adviser David Axelrod defends the ad: "He called the image 'standard,' and defended the argument against the plan. He also dismissed the suggestion that this mailing is similar to Clinton attacks that Obama has denounced. 'Ours is based in fact and theirs is based in fabrication,' he said."

Update: Both the Clinton campaign and Len Nichols have released statements.

Clinton campaign:

Earlier today, the Clinton campaign held a conference call to discuss
the Obama campaign's negative health care mailer, which is reminiscent
of Harry and Louise ads used by industry to defeat universal health care
in the early 1990s. At the end of the call, Howard Wolfson made the
following statement:

"I heard someone make a reference to a march in Skokie in comparison to
the photograph in the mailer which is not a comparison that we would
make. And everyone on the call is obviously very passionate about this
issue, and rightfully so, but that is not a comparison that we would
make."

These remarks were made by a health care expert unaffiliated with our
campaign. They were totally inappropriate and the campaign rejects them
completely.

Len Nichols, via the New America Foundation:

Len Nichols, Director of New America's Health Policy Program, stated, "For nearly 17 years I have worked tirelessly to reform our nation's struggling health system. Today my passion overwhelmed me. I chose an analogy that was wholly inappropriate. I am deeply sorry for any offense that my unfortunate comments may have caused. I made unfortunate comments that do not accurately reflect my bipartisan conviction, political philosophy, or most importantly, my opinions about Senator Obama and his historic campaign for the United States presidency."

"While I have consulted with seven former and current presidential candidates, I am not affiliated nor a surrogate for the Clinton campaign, or any other campaign."

"I wholeheartedly appreciate Senator Obama's concern for Americans struggling to afford health insurance and I admire his amazing ability to inspire the nation. In fact, it is my own moral and religious convictions that lead me to believe that it is necessary for our country to guarantee quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans. My foremost priority is to advance the health reform debate by protecting a fact-based discussion."

"The New America Foundation is a non-partisan think tank, that does not endorse or advise any campaign in an official capacity " said Steve Coll, New America's President and CEO. "Len's decision to participate in the call and his comments on the mailer are regrettable. Len is passionate and committed to reforming health care in America, and I know that he sincerely regrets these unfortunate remarks."

Note: The original headline for this post described Len Nichols as a Clinton "backer" -- he has consulted with Clinton's campaign (and several others) but is officially unaffiliated in he race.

Comments

[NewMexicoFan]

So who is engaged in Negative Campagining? I thought I heard him say he would never do that. Is that a flip flop? I wonder why? We are now a second rate nation, due to our lack of universal health care. A vote for Obama indicates we will continue down that path. New Mexico tried volunteer auto insurance. We now have mandatory. The number of people covered has gone way up.

Why, would a first rate country shoot for anything less than 100%. I always thought America had high goals?

[KaAp]

I am tired of people evoking Nazi's ... geez ... what is Nazi-like about the ad? I find it ironic given Senator Hillary Clinton's f***ing Jew comments years ago for anyone in her campaign to dare ever ever say anything about Nazi's.
I like Obama's plan much better than Clintons plan ... since jail terms and fines are what would transpire with her plan ... and I think both Clintons have done enough to increase incarceration rates ...
To make health care affordable so that everyone can buy it and provide subsidies so the poor can buy it is a policy that goes well beyond hyperbole and can readily be accomplished ...
But, Nazi's ... it really angers me that anyone in Clinton's camp dare ever utter those words ... that is sickening

[undrgrndgirl]

true - the only one who had a real plan was dennis kucinich..­.obama's plan is similar to hillary's.
ask your representatives to support h.r. 676.

[colbert2422]

Aren't HILL and OB 1 and 2 in money from the health industry?

The idea of forcing every person to buy health insurance has to be right off the insurance industry's wish list, just like mandating auto insurance.

Kucinich had the only right idea, so he had to disappear from advertiser supported TV.

The HILL and OB plans are like trying to eliminate hunger by passing a law requiring everyone to buy food.

Next they will be trying to solve the energy problem by requiring every motorist to put big wheels on the back of their cars and small wheels on the front so they will save gas by going downhill all the time.

William

[GPRogueCowboy]

During the debate Thursday he was asked:
Under your plan what happens when one
of the projected 15 Million that will
not be insured shows up at the
Emergency Room for treatment?

Answer: They will be treated but
they will have to PAY A FINE
Or
Buy Health Insurance and
pay up Payments in
ARREARS.

Isn’t he going to FORCE people to buy
Health Insurance once they get sick
And need Medical Care?

[CenterLeftLawyer]

The Clinton people are mad about a picture. A PICTURE. That they say "evokes" an ad run 17 years ago. Oh, my God. A kitchen table. A man. A woman. Trouble making ends meet. Their conclusion-Obama is trying to kill health care.

Who besides health care wonks even remember that ad? The Clinton-ites are just trying to create an issue. To paraphrase Rep. Clyburn of South Carolina, they need to "chill a little bit."

From that rant (yes, "Nazis in Skokie" justifies the term "rant") they turn to another favorite tactic: disengenuousness.

"I am not a Clinton surrogate, I was just the "liason" between Hillary and Bill during health care reform." (I will skip the obvious joke about the Clinton marital relationship). And now I an unpaid HRC campaign consultant (I will work for her for free).

Sounds like an old, and dear friend, maybe not "on payroll," but clearly a supporter.

Oh, and by the way, his presence on that conference call, jeopardizes his employer's tax exempt 501(c)(3) status. His employer understood this, hence his statement

The rules against political activity for non-profits organizations are "universal" and "mandatory­." Looks, like Hillary's plan may have found its first victim (lol).

[Boadicea]

Axelrod is right, the image is standard. It was standard 15 years ago, and it's still standard. One minute looking through ivillage and many other similar websites will confirm it. There are oodles of ads that use near identical images to this one.

The text is true. And a small "subsidy" won't help people who are struggling to put food on the table.

Democrats have too many boogymen. They're still spooked by every little thing that has ever upset them. They've given Republicans control of their minds.

No wonder they can't win the presidency.

[rollingdivision]

Once you have your surrogates cross the "Nazis march through Skokie, Illinois" Rubicon you can't go back. You can't uncall your opponent a Nazi. Anyone who thought a 2008 Democratic presidential election win was inevitable needs to rethink where the Democrats are going.

[AnninCA]

And Obama would suggest that Clinton will do anything to win?

LOL*

The longer this goes on, the more we learn and the Man of HOpe.

[Yappa]

This article is just the latest in a barrage of lies and distortions, too much of which has been on HuffPost. The article tries to slime Hillary for an Obama ad that is untrue and that damages the cause of universal health care when all that happened is that an advocate for universal health care got a little zealous in critizing the ad.

Had Hillary used such an ad against Obama, you would be screaming to the skies that Hillary was a liar, dirty politician, blah blah blah. You're as bad as Fox News.

[RichLiberal]

Every day in every way Obama is being revealed as a total fraud. The only question is whether the right wing smear machine, MSM-enabled Hillary-hatred will lift from the sheep's eyes before they must cast their vote.

[RedStateCenterLeft]

Years ago, as a reporter covering the environment, I asked Carol Browner, then head of EPA, when did President Clinton expect Sen. Bob Dole to die, since the proposals that administration put across in its early days would pass over Bob's dead body.

Certain people in policy positions just don't get it sometimes, whether right or left. We have another one of those instances here where folks don't get it. Sometimes, our party's ability to fuck up amazes me.

[Palito]

Very sad ad undermining the idea of universal health care, coming from a campaign that supposedly represents a fresh new approach to politics.

I can totally see this same ad being used by the republicans against Hillary or Obama, whoever is the nominee.

[eazyguy]

I'm a Democrat. I've always been a Democrat. But I've never seen such hateful rhetoric perpetrated in the primaries among Dems as I have seen in this election season. It saddens me no end. You all make me sick and ashamed.

[myskylark]

The ad is a lie. The Clinton proposal includes provisions to provide assistance to anyone who cannot afford insurance without help. The ad implies that poor people would be forced to pay for something they can't afford. Not true. Obama's campaign has made plenty of low blows and misquotes, but they get a free ride from the press, including The Huffington Post. Too many people who should know better are falling for the pied piper. Obama had the audacity to jump into the presidential race woefully unqualified, and it's amazing to me how many can be mesmerized by a good speech when there is no there there.