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

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

[williamg]

Hillary bashes Barack constantly over his decision to not have a mandate. She even goes so far to talk about how it will leave out 15 million people. She has no right to complain when he points out the fact that she has a mandate. If she wants to trumpet her mandate against Obama, she has to defend her mandate herself.

[dukeman]

Hillary wants to force everyone into health insurance because the insurance companies are funding her campaign and want the extra customers.

She rejects a single payer system because the insurance companies would be hit badly.

[pmharrell]

Typical Clinton bullshit. Have a surrogate be something ridiculous and then say "Who me".

[MelindaPost]

Nazi comparison is too far but it sure isn't the politics of change to send a mailer like this.

[realitytrumpsbull]

We have incorporated nazi science into the national 'database', kind of stands to reason that some of the politics might get utilized as well...hitler was big on health and family, didn't like smoking...ja, Opa dat vass a goodt man, ja...

[misterbone]

I prefer Obama's focus on affordability, which is the basic problem with health insurance in the US. A mandate is little more than a windfall for the insurance industry unless there's a meaningful strategy to make coverage affordable in the first place. Hillary's paln to provide subsidies is the same as taxing us to line insurance company pockets.

[Parkhurst]

TO THE HuffPo COMMUNITY

You know, after hearing of this and reading the comments here, I don't want to be lectured by you any more about hope, and change, and changing the way we do politics.

People are actually baying here, who preach conciliation and talk of bringing all of us together. Yet what we see is a bunch of louts, baring their teeth, chanting in the stands for their man, regardless of right and wrong, with no care of his conduct and his methods.

What a bunch of phonies.

[xrayman]

I will eat this computer if the Republicans and conservative Democrats allow a healthcare plan to get through congress. But even so, you can't have a plan where you let people slide and then once they get sick and can't pay, they are further penalized. That sounds like a financial and bureaucratic nightmare.

Though I don't believe it can be enacted, Clinton's is the better policy.

[michnovak]

Er, I believe that the Nazi reference was an incredibly bad attempt at humor -- referencing the Blues Brothers movie.

[Lostskeleton]

Man...first its a gang rape...now its a Nazi death march. Perspective much? I mean we are talking about two left wing canidates right?

[ImmanuelKant]

Someone recently said "You can't put lipstick on a pig." Someone else said "you can't have it both ways." Here Senator Clinton falls into both categories. If everyone WILL have health insurance, then everyone WILL be forced to purchase health insurance. The jibberish that "those that cannot afford it will have subsidies" is the lipstick. Who will decide who can afford this and who cannot afford it. Suppose I earn $75,000 annually and I don't want it. Do you really think Hilliary's program will pick up the tab? I think not, thus I would be FORCED to buy it.

[Lostskeleton]

I mean, its fair right? Why should I be forced to buy health insurance that I can't afford when my employer offers perfectly good insurance. Why can't we just offer government health insurance for people who do not have the option to buy health insurance through their employer thereby covering everyone. I think its a fair concern. I never understood the need for mandatory health insurance v. afforable government vs. private health insurance.

[cultkicker]

ANYONE who supported Joe Lieberman in his bid for Senator will NOT get my vote. OBAMA did. Hillary DID NOT.

Hillary Clinton O8!

[ClaeDulls]

the over the top rhetoric coming from Clinton supporters over the past week is absolutely absurd. It's frightening to see what has been happening. with the ted kennedy endorsement, you had NOW talking "betrayal" and likening it to a "gang bang." and here, pretty tame imagery is likened to a Nazi march. however inappropriate, the subtle imagery is NOTHING like a Nazi march through a Jewish town.

criticize his health care policy. i'm not 100% on it, that's for sure, I would even say I prefer Hillary's plan for it. but we're talking about a mailer. do Hillary supporters really want to go there. Given his stance, his criticism of her policy is "true." It is perhaps deceptive, but that is debatable as well. Hillary Clinton's abortion mailers however were undeniably deceptive, as their claims were dishonest and not even based on any policy difference. it was just smear.

It's amazing that the clintons convene people, have people speak, employ people who say the most inflammatory things, yet time and time again they have nothing to do with it. We want to have a debate on health care. i think she won last night. Obama's ad raises a point that many believe was done in bad taste, it doesn't however shut down the discussion, and responds to her mailers and criticism that 15 million will be uninsured. it's a debtae we can have. one side might have the better argument but it's a debate. there is no debate when you start talking NAZIS.

[Parkhurst]

This well illustrates the view of many that Obama sincerity cannot be denied - he sincerely want to be president, and he will say or do anything to be president.

This deeply disingenuous man would destroy the movement for universal health care just to further his own ambition. There is no hope here, no change in the way we do politics. Here we are seeing the true nature and intent of this man.

He is just another corporate suit who will gladly pander to his old pals interests. In the mean time, we get shafted. The guy is a phony America, wake up!