Clinton Surrogate: Obama Can't Milk The Iraq War Cow

The Clinton camp's attempts to call into question both the sincerity of Barack Obama's call for an Iraq troop withdrawal and his ability to serve as commander-in-chief took a bizarre turn on Monday, when farming metaphors were deployed for the first time in the campaign.

Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard, a Clinton supporter, compared Obama's stance on Iraq to a person who could "recognize a cow" (ostensibly, the perils of the war) but not milk it (get the troops out? has conflict-management experience?).

"Just because you recognize the cow doesn't mean you know how to milk it," said Ballard, who was playing off his time among cows in Louisiana. "I think body of experience, learning what you have to do and how to do it, is very important... No one can tell you how to milk a cow; you have to do that yourself."

That wasn't all.

"No doubt in my mind he can probably milk a cow but his body of experience means he probably doesn't know how to milk one," continued Ballard, before getting a bit more specific. "When I look across the aisle at Sen. Obama, other than a great speech, I really do not see the same body of experience to deal with that issue. I see a statement that says I have a great staff that can advise me. I think you need a great body of experience to deal with the recommendations your staff is bringing to you."

Campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson called into question Obama's capacity to be the vice president, claiming "We do not believe that Senator Obama has passed the commander-in-chief test. But there is a long way between now and Denver."

In addition to Ballard, the conference call included Gen. Wesley Clark, and Lee Feinstein, the Clinton Campaign's National Security Director, all of whom attacked Obama for not being entirely committed to a troop withdrawal. As evidence they cited recent remarks by former Obama aide Samantha Power which suggested that the Illinois Democrat would reconsider troop withdrawal once elected, given the account of conditions on the ground.

"[Sen. Clinton] has been unwavering in her commitment to support withdrawal," said Ballard. "People know when they vote what they are exactly going to get. And in the case of Sen. Obama I don't think we are quite that clear."

Moooo.

Comments

[deltaverde]

Maybe milking the Iraq cow is a metaphor for profiting off the war, in which case he's right, between HIllary and Barack, only Hillary has shown any aptitude for milking.

[nuttincowboy]

How sweet, a heifer and a cow in color coordinated outfits. I'm looking to seeing this carpetbagger mooving down the road to obscurity where she and her dis bared lawyer husband belong.

[busybeez]

If I was Hillary I wouldn't use cow analogies. Mooooooooooo! haha

[ObamaSeeChange]

Let me get this straight:

Senator Obama probably knows how to milk a cow but doesn't have enough experience to know how to milk a cow.....uhhhhh what does that mean and how many cows and/or how many times has Hillary milked a cow and was she wearing her cowgirl hat while she was milking.

Senator Obama is not yet qualified to be the CIC but may get qualified by the Convention if he capitulates and agrees to give the nomination to Hillary and serve as VP even though he is far in the lead for the race for the nomination and she is in second place.

Because Senator Obama's former foreign policy advisor qualified his pledge to return the troops from Iraq by the reality of what mess Bush left on the ground by 2009 that he was backing out of his pledge to bring the troops home. Does that mean that Hillary is now ready to set a date certain to remove the troops in 2009 without regard to the situation on the ground at that time?

OMG please help me out with these Hillary triangulations, I have a head ache. Please by all thats holy and rightgeous don't let that woman or her advisors and staff near the WH.

[Readbetweentheelevens]

I read this article to my cow, Daisy, and her comments were as follows: Total bull butter!

[misterbone]

How cheesy. Apparently somebody in the Clinton camp did some research and found out PA is a major dairy state.

[JavaCityGal]

Haha- you're so right, LOL!!

[DMHendrix]

This is complete and "udder" crap.

[miles120]

Wow, I've got to get whatever the Clinton campaign is giving their people. I've never seen such mass delusion in all my life.

It's reprehensible to reduce the Iraq war dilemma to a cow-milking analogy. Hillary Clinton was directly responsible for the foreign policy crisis in which we find ourselves, has voted to remain belligerent to other powers, and mocks the efforts of others to discuss alternate policies. Why the American public tolerates this kind of campaign is beyond me.

We can all feel proud when the likes of Howard Wolfson are not vindicated. Until that time, I'm increasingly nervous about our polity and the health of our democracy.

[personalpolitical]

Have they lost their goddamn minds??

[ejay579]

Speaking of cows.....

[CraigMM]

S1mon - and it must be frustrating to you that millions of American feel that HRC is the better candidate...in fact, pretty much as many people like HRC as like Obama. Oh yeah, and HRC is beating McCain in polls by a larger margin than Obama.

Obama...change you can count on (NAFTA, withdrawing the troops, not going negative in ads and now tax returns).

Obama changes what he says and means like the wind....see, he does have a record now.....for saying one thing and meaning another!

[Rotcod]

Nice try but Lie, Lie, Lie.

[thebirdstheword]

Keep telling yourself that, Howard (CraigMM) Wolfson.

[JoelNH]

Which poll has HRC beating McCain? I haven't see one. All of them show Obama doing better in a matchup with McCain, both nationally and state by state counting electoral votes (Survey USA).

I agree that millions like HRC, but many more like BHO. So whats your point?

Oh, you don't have one - its just spin. Try to get out of the bubble and research your assertions then you can post facts AND cite their sources. Otherwise you are no better than the campaign you advocate for.

[greylox]

**Oh dear, CraigMM. You've been smokin too many cow patties.

[combatveteran]

These are faux facts.

[soundbite]

What a brilliant strategy. I can see it now: "Who's ready on day one: Clinton or McCain?". Who's ready to be commander in chief, "Clinton or McCain?"

Clinton is clearly more interested in destroying Obama than positioning either of them to beat McCain in November.

I started out leaning towards Edwards, switched enthusiastically to Obama, but now I feel that the most important goal is to keep the Clintons from dragging down the party for decades to come.

[shanester]

Not sure about your data. I think Obama does slightly better against Mccain than Hillary does.

[foreffectivegovernment]

"It's the Primary, Stupid."

If you were out of your teens, you would know the primary is a contest between the Democratic candidates to become the nominee of the Democratic Party. The way one candidate does that is to convince the voters they are better than the other candidate.

[griffon2k]

Just more opportunistic Clinton garbage.

Samantha Power was acting as a foreign policy adviser. Her very job would be to advise Obama over whether or not he can get all troops out of Iraq within the time frame he's proposed.

And that's the heart of the issue and the reason for her cooment. Obama's proposed about a 16 month drawdown. Realistically, things could very well change between now and the day our next president is sworn in that could either allow for a full withdrawl in less time than 16 months OR that could make a longer period of time necessary for withdrawl.

Instead of giving Hillary Clinton free air time to launch attacks on Obama's committment to withdrawing troops, why isn't anyone asking whether she stands by HER proposed timetable for troop drawdown and whether she'd hold to it no matter what once elected.

[estreya]

Or alternatively, why has no one reported the FACT the Clinton's "withdrawal commitments" changed from one debate to the next! Right before our eyes! Do they thing we're NOT PAYING ATTENTION?

[mshawn]

And if you actually looked at her comment, it was just basic common sense. She said that conditions on the ground could alter Obama's troop withdrawal play. That is simply stating that Obama would be sensible and responsible in how he withdrew the troops, or as Obama puts it: "We have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in." Hillary's spin is getting more and more asinine, and the sad thing is that the media thinks it's job is to report the spin rather than report the truth.

To paraphrase Colbert, "Reality has a clear Obama bias."

[simplecitizen]

Democrats Beware. I have been a Democrat all my life having voted rarely for a republican except where I have been convinced that person was vastly superior to the Democratic candidate. HRC will never get my vote. Many other democrats I"ve talked to feel the same way. It"s come now to how in good conscience can you vote for someone as ruthless as her with not one shred of integrity. Give her the nomination and I know she will be trounced at the polls in November. She cannot get the nomination by playing within the rules so she"ll steal it by any means possible. What a shame its come down to this.

[Jellybelly]

I have never voted for a Republican for president and have never missed voting in a presidential election and I am having a hard time deciding if I could vote for Obama.

[lisakaz]

If she pulls a SC, I'll be writing in Obama.

[Ariadne]

So does that mean you would vote for McCain? If you believe in even one of the Democratic party ideas then there is no choice. Man up.

[tehriaz]

same here. I wouldn't do it. I've decided I'd vote nader because my vote is wasted anyway.

[lvdragonlady]

I would rather NOT vote at all then vote for HRC and that will NEVER happen.
Someone mentioned getting a bumper sticker that reads' Don't blame me, I did not vote for either one of them' and that is probably going to be the case if HRC gets the nomination.

[in4success]

Monster Cow?