Obama Camp Lays Ground For Negative Attacks

***STORY UPDATES BELOW***

The Obama camp appears to be laying ground for pushing back against Hillary Clinton's latest campaign attacks, even if that means taking a negative approach themselves. The difficulty, as has been noted in the past, is maintaining the positive approach that has dominated his campaign while still drawing contrast with the Clintons.

Obama campaign manager David Axelrod claimed last night:

"If Sen. Clinton wants to take the debate to various places, we'll join that debate. We'll do it on our terms and in our own way but if she wants to make issues like ethics and disclosure and law firms and real estate deals and all that stuff issues, as I've said before I don't know why they'd want to go there, but I guess that's where they'll take the race.''

The Associated Press cites an anonymous Obama aide:

A senior Obama adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Obama's team will respond to Tuesday's results by going negative on Clinton -- raising questions about her tax records and the source of donations to the Clinton presidential library, among skeletons in the Clintons' past.

And Obama is challenging Hillary's claims to be a better Commander-in-Chief:

"I hope people start asking is what exactly is this foreign experience she is claiming," he said. "Was she handling crises during this period of time? I haven't seen any evidence that she is more equipped to handle a crisis.

"She made the experience argument and her ability to handle a crisis, so I think it is important to examine that claim and not just allow her to assert it," he added. "She has made the argument that she is thoroughly vetted. If the suggestion is somehow that on issue of ethics or disclosure or transparency that she is somehow going to have a better record than I have or could (better) withstand Republican attack, then that should be tested."

Meanwhile, the Associated Press is reporting that some superdelegates worry about future attacks. Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist, had this to say to the Associated Press:

"Despite Obama's impressive victories in February, Clinton's comeback is based on sowing political seeds of doubt," said Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist and one of nearly 800 party leaders known as superdelegates for their ability to determine the nomination. "In order to clinch the nomination, he must anticipate the worst attacks ever."...

..."If these attacks are contrasts based on policy differences, there is no need to stop the race or halt the debate," Brazile said. "But, if this is more division, more diversion from the issues and more of the same politics of personal destruction, chairman Dean and other should be on standby."

Story continues below

UPDATE: The Obama camp has released a memo criticizing Clinton for refusing to release her tax returns. David Axelrod reinforced the message saying Clinton had "a history of nondisclosure," after promising that "the vetting of Hillary Clinton has yet to start."

Read the memo:

TO: Interested Parties FR: The Obama Campaign RE: TAX RETURNS: What does Clinton have to hide?

DA: March 5, 2008

The Clinton campaign today maintained that "the vetting of Barack Obama has just begun." The truth is, more than a year into this campaign, some very simple vetting of Hillary Clinton has yet to start.

In the face of her unwillingness to release her tax returns, Hillary Clinton has made the false case in this campaign that she is more electable because she has been fully vetted. When it comes to her personal finances, Senator Clinton's refusal to release her taxes returns denies the media and the American people the opportunity to even begin that process. Though her campaign has tried to kick the issue down the road, Democratic voters deserve to know, right now, why it is she is hiding the information in her tax returns from last year.

The Clinton campaign has said that they have released copious amounts of financial information but there are many questions about their private dealings that could be answered in their tax returns but not in the information that is currently available. For example, here are eight pieces of information that could be learned from her tax returns, the accompanying schedules, and attachments:

Effective tax rate - including whether or not any tax shelters were used to reduce it
Amount of income for spouses by source
Amount of stock gains and losses
Gross income for the couple
Amount earned from stock dividends
Amount of household employment taxes paid
Personal exemptions taken
Charitable contributions made

Senator Clinton has also claimed that she is too "busy" to release her tax returns. Given the fact she is able to loan her campaign $5 million, you would think the Clintons would be able to hire an accountant. The reality is that she wants to keep this information hidden from voters. The people of Wyoming, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and the rest of the country should wonder why.

The Clintons' record on releasing tax returns:

FEBRUARY 2008: Clinton Reiterated That She Would Not Release Her Tax Records Until She Is The Nominee And Not Before Mid-April. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says she won't release her tax returns until she has the Democratic presidential nomination in hand, and not before tax filing time comes in mid-April. "I will release my tax returns," Clinton said during the debate. "I have consistently said I will do that once I become the nominee, or even earlier." Pressed about the timing of releasing her tax returns, campaign aides were more reticent Wednesday, indicating that Clinton would not release the sensitive financial data during a hotly contested primary, but only at tax filing time. [AP, 2/27/08 ]

JUNE 2007: Clinton Does Not Plan to Release Her Tax Returns Until Next Year. According to the Washington Post, Clinton said through a spokesman that, "like past presidential candidates," she will "release tax information in the election year." [Washington Post , 6/19/07]

APRIL 12, 1996: Clinton Released His Tax Returns. President Clinton and his wife earned $316,074 in 1995, including the president's $200,000 salary, according to tax returns released Friday by the White House. The public release of the tax returns, three days before the April 15 filing deadline, shows that Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton are owed a refund of $5,656 on the $81,093 they paid in taxes, and will apply that refund to their 1996 income taxes. [UPI, 4/12/96]

April 15, 1992: Bill Clinton Made His Tax Returns Public. APRIL 15, 1992: Bill Clinton made his tax returns made public. [Los Angeles Times, 4/16/93]

Bill Clinton Released His Tax Returns In 1992 But Refused To Release Their Tax Returns From Before 1980. During the 1992 campaign, the Clintons claimed to be coming clean by releasing their tax returns from 1980 forward. But they steadfastly refused to release their returns for prior years, and only later did we learn that 1978 and 1979 were the tax years when Mrs. Clinton reported her 10,000% cattle-futures trading profit. [WSJ, 2/22/08 ]

UPDATE: The Hillary camp has responded with a statement from Howard Wolfson:

Faced with many legitimate questions about Senator Obama's long-time relationship with indicted political fixer Tony Rezko, the Obama campaign has chosen to lash out at Senator Clinton.

Here are the facts:

Over 20 years of the Clintons' tax returns are in the public domain.

Their tax returns since they left the White House will be made available on or around April 15.

This information will be in addition to 15 years of uninterrupted public financial disclosure reports.

Instead of making false attacks, we urge Senator Obama to release all relevant financial and other information related to indicted political fixer Tony Rezko.

Comments

[2liveNdie]

http://members.tripod.com/~rcjustice/pres.html and http://prorev.com/legacy.htm.

FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aladdinc]

Rezko, Auchi

Rezko, Auchi

Rezko, Auchi

Shall I say it again?

When his home town newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, endorsed Senator Obama on
January 26, 2007, it did so with one caveat:

Instead, as we've said, Obama has been too self-exculpatory. His assertion
in network TV interviews last week that nobody had indications Rezko was
engaging in wrongdoing strains credulity: Tribune stories linked Rezko to
questionable fundraising for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2004 -- more than a
year before the adjacent home and property purchases by the Obamas and the
Rezkos. One more time, Senator:
You need to divulge all there is to know about that relationship.

The obstacles to Obama as a VP are the same as the obstacles to him as President--lack of credibilty as possible commander in chief ... a history of all talk, no action....and an unvetted problematic personal history....Exelon plus Rezko, Auchi
>

[2liveNdie]

ROSE LAW FIRM

ROSE LAW FIRM

ROSE LAW FIRM

Taking donations from a firm under investigation is something HRC knows as well!

[Karenina44]

Vince Foster
Vince Foster
Vince Foster

Doesnt it bother you that Bill worked on that deal about selling our ports to Dubai? What kind of kick back did they get out of it?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/09/wus609.xml

Seems even the UK media is "against the Clintons".

[Hotshortie]

I hope all the rezkos stuff comes out cuz I know it's nothing compared to the peter paul skeleton hillary has in her closet.

http://www.peterfpaul.com/2008/02/12/5-million-internet-views-of-hillaryuncensored-film-helps-derail-hillary-white-house-bid/

[thatbeingsaid]

10,000% return on cattle future investment not released before 92 election. Shall we say more? Of course, but later,

[Hotshortie]

What about Norman Hsu a chinese business man who contributed to Clintons campaign.
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/23/clinton.china/

Wasn's a chinese contributor put in to jail??? I can't remember his name?

[mrJJ]

CLINTONS TIED TO REZKO

Clinton's national co-chair received donations from Rezko. Three of the co-defendants at Rezko trial contributed to Clintons and campaign supporters. Obama didn't receive any donations from Rezko.

Since the name of Chicago defendant Antoin ‘Tony’ Rezko has come up in national debate, it seems fair to look at donations from other defendants in Chicago’s “Operation Board Games.”

Of the other five defendants, three have donated to the Clintons or to Clinton supporters, three have donated mostly to Republicans, and at least two have donated to Obama’s political opponents. None have donated to Obama

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/clintons-tied-to-rezko.php

http://www.fec.gov/disclosure.shtml

http://www.opensecrets.org

[2liveNdie]

Looks like HRC is trying the TAXES two step!

[snowcat]

Clinton Fatigue

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=12974

[rwferr]

I guess Obama's "loan" from Rezco via Saddam Huessain's bag man does not appear on Obama's tax return.

[Vishous]

Right? Let's see some documented proof, link of any kind to lend credence to your slime. Or else, why don't you focus on the issues. There is a reason that the Clintons are loathed by much of the nation. It looks like their focusing on splitting up their party as well. I don't think there is any better way to guarantee a President McCain, than by going forth with their current tactics.

[uglybetty]

Why blame Clintons ,for what you refuse to believe about the Obamas (both)??
They have both been involved with shady deals and people !!
I'd say splitting the party works Both ways ,but I'm also aware that Obamans can't see past his smile !!!

[snowcat]

Hillary's…Um…Character
Megalomania: Hillary refused to acknowledge – publicly or in print – the woman who in essence wrote her 1996 book, "It Takes a Village."
Lying: Hillary gave false testimony about her co-defendant Ira Magaziner, who helped her conduct secret meetings about her failed plan to socialize U.S. medicine.
Obstruction of Justice: the "smartest woman in the world" couldn't remember where she placed the Rose law firm billing records that were subpoenaed in 1994, until they magically reappeared two years later in the White House library.
Tastelessness: In 1999, after the wife of terrorist Yasir Arafat told the co-president that Israel was deliberately poisoning Palestinians, Hillary saw fit to embrace her. And that is not to omit what Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Michael Goodwin called her "rancid race baiting" remarks at a recent Martin Luther King Jr. celebration about Republicans running "the House" like a "plantation." Significantly, she omitted mention of the holiday that Arkansans celebrated during her years in the state house that honored Dr. King while at the same time honoring Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general who fought to allow the South to keep blacks enslaved.
Selective Amnesia: In her 2004 book, "Living History," Hillary strangely omitted mention of her own and her husband's key associates, men with whom she took numerous photographs and who donated millions of dollars to her husband's campaigns, going back to their Arkansas days. These include – among dozens of other shady characters and outright criminals – Moctar Riady, the Indonesian billionaire owner of the Lippo banking company (the partner of which is the Chinese communist government and reputedly a front for Chinese espionage), and his son James, who eventually pleaded guilty to campaign violations.
Contempt for Women: Her low regard for women continued through the 1990s as the White House went after many but certainly not all of the president's women – Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, and Elizabeth Ward Gracen – by auditing their tax returns, and, in 1997, leaking Paula Jones' confidential tax returns to the press.
According to Candace E. Jackson in her book, “The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine,” Hillary “was right there in the inner circle taking a lead in giving these women zero credibility, in attacking them in public and through the press and in participating in all of these scare tactics, like hiring private investigators to threaten them and follow them…[she] is either as misogynistic as her husband or she is simply willing to conspire to mistreat women if that's what it takes to preserve their political careers."

[snowcat]

fom Joan Swirzky:Hillary's…Um…Character
Megalomania: Hillary refused to acknowledge – publicly or in print – the woman who in essence wrote her 1996 book, "It Takes a Village."
Lying: Hillary gave false testimony about her co-defendant Ira Magaziner, who helped her conduct secret meetings about her failed plan to socialize U.S. medicine.
Obstruction of Justice: the "smartest woman in the world" couldn't remember where she placed the Rose law firm billing records that were subpoenaed in 1994, until they magically reappeared two years later in the White House library.
Tastelessness: In 1999, after the wife of terrorist Yasir Arafat told the co-president that Israel was deliberately poisoning Palestinians, Hillary saw fit to embrace her. And that is not to omit what Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Michael Goodwin called her "rancid race baiting" remarks at a recent Martin Luther King Jr. celebration about Republicans running "the House" like a "plantation." Significantly, she omitted mention of the holiday that Arkansans celebrated during her years in the state house that honored Dr. King while at the same time honoring Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general who fought to allow the South to keep blacks enslaved.
Selective Amnesia: In her 2004 book, "Living History," Hillary strangely omitted mention of her own and her husband's key associates, men with whom she took numerous photographs and who donated millions of dollars to her husband's campaigns, going back to their Arkansas days. These include – among dozens of other shady characters and outright criminals – Moctar Riady, the Indonesian billionaire owner of the Lippo banking company (the partner of which is the Chinese communist government and reputedly a front for Chinese espionage), and his son James, who eventually pleaded guilty to campaign violations.
Contempt for Women: Her low regard for women continued through the 1990s as the White House went after many but certainly not all of the president's women – Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, and Elizabeth Ward Gracen – by auditing their tax returns, and, in 1997, leaking Paula Jones' confidential tax returns to the press.
According to Candace E. Jackson in her book, “The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine,” Hillary “was right there in the inner circle taking a lead in giving these women zero credibility, in attacking them in public and through the press and in participating in all of these scare tactics, like hiring private investigators to threaten them and follow them…[she] is either as misogynistic as her husband or she is simply willing to conspire to mistreat women if that's what it takes to preserve their political careers."

[AnotherTry]

yawn. Sorry. Were you saying something?

[dykalg]

Thankyou Howard Wolfson for bringing up Rezko again. Many Americans bought homes from men who OUGHT to be on trial...because of the sub-prime scandal. Others, who rent their humble digs would gladly waterboard their landlords (again and again). Let the wheels of justice turn...

About Hillary's tax records: you say "on or about April 15th"....like it could be 8 days later, the day after the Pennsylvania primary. ???
When will Hillary release her apointment calendar so we can see all the important people she consulted during her 35 years experience.??? And when will we see her itinerary on her foreign trips, which together with her "talking points", will no doubt reveal the depths of her policy role.?

[snowcat]

YES!!

David Shuster just ( finally) brought up on MSNBC;

Have any of her Democratic opponents, including Obama, sought more detailed answers from her about stories such as:

* Norman Hsu and his bundling of money for her campaign?

* How "dishwashers, waiters and others" poured "$1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton's campaign treasury?"

* Bill's trip to Kazakhstan with Canadian magnate, Frank Giustra, that netted Giustra $3 billion and Bill's foundation a $131 million contribution from Giustra?

* How powerful foreign donors to Bill's presidential library, such as the Saudis, may pose a serious conflict of interest to Hillary's foreign policy actions as president?

* How Bill's tangled ties to an investment concern of Clinton friend, Ron Burkle, and it's dealings with Dubai may yet, again, threaten to compromise Hillary Clinton's execution of foreign policy as president?

* The fact that the with all of these questionable financial dealings, the Clintons have been unwilling to release their tax returns, especially in light of Hillary Clinton claiming that the $5 million she lent the campaign was "her own money?"

* And, finally, though we, as Democrats, don't care who Bill schtupps (and, no, none of us believe he has kept his fly zipped the last seven years), you can be damn sure the Republicans will be digging hard (no pun intended) to see just what Bill has been up to since leaving offic

plus Whitewater

[darlamc]

The Press Call with David Axelrod. For Hillary Supporters. This is where the Obama campaign is headed. www.politicalamnesia.blogspot.com

[darlamc]

David Axelrod and the Press call- for Hillary supporters.
www.politicalamnesia.blogspot.com

[flyguy14222]

Obambi is whining about tax returns? We are talking about a former President and a current Senator. There are over 20yrs worth of records out there. How about debating some real issue?

[johnhummel]

Odd, though, that those records end after the presidency. Where are those records? How did the $5 million get into their bank accounts so they could fund their campaign when it was in financial trouble?

Sure, they had to release their tax returns - Bill was the President. So what happened since then to turn them into a couple under debt from legal bills - to being able to drop a cool $5 million upon request?

Probably nothing there - but I find it funny that they can't seem to find time to call up an accountant and say "OK - send an email". Take 15 minutes at most.

[lunadove]

too busy doing SNL and other important shows.

[Macready]

well said johnhummel . . .they don't dare show them . . .

[Macready]

don't forget the IRS got al capone on his tax returns . . . hillary won't release them until after the election . . why not???????????????????????????????????

you want a real debate issue . .. did you like the 3am ad??? -- I thought considering her vote for the illegal invasion of Iraq; her vote to against banning landmines and clusters bombs, her vote for kly/lieberman -- that is was fearmongering trash . . . and not worth my attention . . . it was disgusting . . . . . . did you approve of hillary backing mccrazy . . . she even shocked Obermann . . . guess that was OK with you . ..

[AnotherTry]

A tax return would imply that the IRS already has all this information. If there is some wrong doing, I think the IRS would have acted, don't you?

[Vishous]

Don't you think it's more than a bit peculiar why they won't release any returns since leaving the White House? In this time their net worth increased from a little over a million to over 50 million. That is information that should be provided to the public if she's truly saying she's been vetted. Why are they hedging on this when they used the exact same issue to attack Rick Lazio in the 2000 New York senate campaign? http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/03/flashback_hrc_once_thought_tax.html
Then there is this in Canadian News about the NAFTA story. It was apparently the Clinton campaing that told the Canadian government to take her talk about NAFTA with a grain of salt. Blind hypocricy. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080305.wharpleak0305/BNStory/National/home

[snowcat]

The brain trust on Morning Joe is at this moment reiterating that Obama has never been vetted and he's in for a tough ride. I have not heard them question Hillary or her people on any of her "ethical" missteps ? They want her in!

Further scandals that have plagued Hillary Clinton recently include but are not limited to:

Norman Hsu, a fundraiser and donor to Hillary Clinton that was a fugitive of the law for over a decade;

Samuel Rivera, Mayor of New Jersey and a Clinton supporter, recently arrested for corruption;

The very public "Paul vs Clinton" legal battle where Hillary will have to testify under oath about Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign understating over $750,000 in contributions to her 2000 Senate campaign, from one Peter Paul, that will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Hillary’s campaign initially denied even knowing Peter Paul, and then later, admitted meeting him but never had a conversation regarding his contribution to her campaign;

Hillary Clinton's association with the 527 Group, America Coming Together, financed by George Soros, which has been fined $775,000 for violating campaign finance laws.

Her association with that group is via, Harold Ickes, president of America Coming Together, who just "happened" to be a former Bill Clinton Top Aide.

[MRb1000]

SHE WILL NOT SHOW THEM

[AnotherTry]

SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO

[idabamaho]

WHY NOT?

[SeekerOne]

No, she doesn't have to. But we can make sure that she pays the political price for not doing so.

Live by the sword...

[fredamae]

maybe if you show her yours she will show you hers? :)

[terraprieto]

Bill Clinton has taken lots of money from the Dubai government, but he is still an American, as far as I know.

Bill Clinton lobbied to put our U.S. ports in the hands of the United Arab Emirates, but he is not a traitor, as far as I know.

The $5 million Hillary and Bill loaned her campaign was certainly money from Arabs, but it wasn't from Osama Bin Laden, as far as I know.

Hillary endorsed McCain over Obama, but she is still a Democrat, as far as I know.

Hillary is fighting to destroy the Democratic Party and ensure a Republican victory in the fall, but she is a good person, as far as I know.