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:

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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

[Slagfish]

Anything short of a single payer health care system is just rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. The solution is simple. Just expand medicare to cover everyone. It's cheaper and better than anything available in the private sector. Another option is to expand the insurance that the government provides congress to cover everyone. All the politicians are carefully avoiding these two sensible option in favor of some twisted, contorted, unworkable plan they know will never come to pass.

[Tee]

Just like his supporters, Obama wants to destroy Democratic Party objectives to get himself elected.

I think Mr. Unity (tm) needs to switch parties.

[latinman]

Obama is a republican!!! Lord have mercy in the democratic party.

[starrianna]

David Axelrod sucks ass.

He is a SLEAZY, NASTY, GREEDY pig of a man. The fact that Barack Obama hired the "KARL ROVE" of the Democratic Party to represent him and speak for him is NOT GOOD!

Wolf in sheeps clothing alert! Say NO to BO!

[Rubiconski]

The Hatred for Hillary is at 54% and growing.

If she gets the nomination all the Hillary Haters will unite and make sure the slimey Clintons never return to trash the WH.

[EinChicago]

wow. Obama's new non-decsisve non-oetty negative approach lasted a record 8 hours this time.

$20 says Obama claims he, once again, knew nothing about it and it was an unathorized aide, once again.

[kiddub]

Giving tax rebates to people who cannot afford private health insurance is a tax expenditure for the public purse and a subsidy for private health insurance providers.

[sdskelton03]

I just wish the political left would stop calling people nazis.

show some creativity for cryin' out loud.

[AdLib]

Wow. So much for kumbaya, I guess.

Hillary supporters think it's more outrageous for Obama to use a photo of a couple that may remind people of Hillary's past failures than it is to associate Obama with "Nazi"?

A photo of a couple on one campaign mailer is going to derail universal healthcare for the nation?

Get a grip and a side of some perspective please.

[baghdadjoe]

Desperation is the watchword. The Clinton people are getting desperate, and there's nothing they won't say or do. Don't listen to their lies and hate.

[kiddub]

Universal private health insurance is not universal health care.

[rh654]

The question is - what part of the Ad is mis-leading or a incorrect?

Clinton Supporters - don't try to redirect the issue - just tell us what is mis-leading or incorrect?

This crap about 3rd Reich and Nazi's is the last gasp attempt by those who have no argument to try and end the argument with this crap.

To those who try and compare a political mailer to the extermination of 6 million Jews, and 3+ million others - you are just disgusting and show such little regard for the reality of the Nazis.

[Ides]

Ah, Krugman. He's been scraping the bottle of the barrel so much he's covered in bloody splinters. What the Hell is wrong with these people?

[kempis]

Krugman on Obama's "Harry and Louise" ad: "So this is just poisoning the well for health care reform. The politics of hope, indeed."

****************

Exactly. Bad move. It's one thing to attack your opponent. It's another to hurt your own party's policy objective. I hope the Obama campaign re-thinks this one.

Anyone old enough to remember how "Harry and Louise" sank the Clinton's universal health care proposal should be appalled. (And of course the irony is that the very thing Harry and Louise worried about--decisions about health care being made by bureaucrats--came to pass when insurers and employers herded people into HMOs and as private insurers have become more and more willing to deny coverage and/or treatments.)

This is a "greenhorn" mistake. Obama's advisors are effective at trying to get him elected, but if they end up "poisoning the well" for universal health care in the process, we may as well vote for McCain.

[NABNYC]

Nothing makes Hillary quite so angry as someone saying something about her that is true. She can defend against lots of things, but not against the truth.

Remember how she became so enraged, took Obama's head off, later justified it on the grounds that he was "looking" for a fight? What is it Obama said? That Hillary sat on Wal-Mart's board. Which she did. For years. The Union-busting, child-labor using, outsourcing, scummy best personal friends of Hillary, Wal Mart. Ooo, that really makes her mad when people say things that are true.

And this. True again. What about the people who can't afford to pay money to Hillary's big donors, the health insurance companies? What's Hillary going to do? Throw them in prison?

And Len whoever, I'm sorry, but you need to go to a creative thinking class. If you want to use grossly distorted and exaggerated claims, try to come up with something that is a tiny bit plausible.

An advertisement showing two people sitting at a kitchen table is ... Like ... Nazis marching in Skokie because ....?

Here's a better one, for example: the brain-numb lackeys being drug out by the Clintons like chewed up old toothless pit bulls to attack other Democrats are ... Like ... Bill Clinton left alone in the donut shop because the counter girl had to go answer the phone? Unrestrained, irrational and ultimately unhealthy mayhem and self-indulgence?