Obama Camp May Turn To Negative Clinton History

The Washington Post reports this morning via an anonymous Democratic strategist that the Obama camp may seek to remind voters of the less impressive days of the Clinton administration:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's victory yesterday in Pennsylvania has only accentuated the quandary that Obama faces: Stay negative and he risks undermining the premise of his candidacy. Stay aloof and he underscores Clinton's argument that he will not be able to beat a "Republican attack machine" sure to greet him this summer....

With Obama clearly favored in North Carolina, even he has called Indiana the "tiebreaker," a state that adjoins Illinois but where Clinton voters hold sway in the working-class towns in the south. In the two weeks leading up to the Indiana primary, a Democratic strategist familiar with the Obama campaign said aides are likely to turn to the controversies of Bill Clinton's White House years -- Hillary Clinton's trading cattle futures, Whitewater and possibly impeachment.

Continue reading about Obama's Indiana primary strategy.

UPDATE: Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe has denied the report:

"We're not gonna do that," Plouffe said. "We have not talked about those issues in the campaign, and won't."

Comments

[Blackstone]

Obama has gone as far has he can with 'hope', 'change' and yes we can as themes. He seems to be constantly on the defensive as Hillary sets the tone. A barrage of negative and inflammatory attacks by
the Clinton campaign has buried his initial message. He should learn from the Clinton/Rove playbook
by using some of his massive financial advantage to focus on the more negative aspects of Clinton's campaign. He must show his metal to the American people or he will be percieved as weak and then he will lose.

[Scarllatti]

Obama does not need to do it himself. The campaign can use "remote" surrogates to do incalculable damage to these two bozos (Hillary & Bill) who are pandering once again to become everything to every one. Bill Clinton did not leave any sustainable legacies when he left office expect Monica Lewinsky-gate, Democrats losing more seats in congress, Al Gore never elected as president (never mind that HRC claimed Al Gore lost because he is elitist), scandal after scandal and a sour taste in the mouth of those of us who knew a long time ago that this man (and his queen) are FAKES.
If our great former presidents did not establish Social Security Benefits, Medicaid/Medicare to name just a few, what would have become of the American society. If only Bill Clinton had been more attentive and vigorous in the pursuit of Osama bin Laden and his murderous terrorists instead of bombing a milk factory in Sudan ( remember wag-the-tail event?) to divert our attention from his lecherous activities in the White House, more than 3000 of our citizens who went to work that faithful morning in the twin towers would have been around with us today. When I hear Hillary say that "it will take a third Clinton to clean up the Bush White House" it reads like it will take a third Clinton (Dynasty) to complete the desecration of the White House. Please keep these two slimes off the peoples property (White House)

[warner55]

The question is .Will the Huffington Report dredge up the Clinton past?
The answer is. YES

[letsdealwithrealissues]

Sorry but I have not read any thing yet about the Peter Paul vs. Clinton trail -- Conference Hearing is scheduled for THIS FRIDAY -- April 25, 2008 and a trial date is expected to be announced soon.

HEADLINE: CLINTON NAMED IN UPCOMING COURT BATTLE FOR SENATE CAMPAIGN FRAUD

Just google: Peter Paul vx. Clinton

[drzoon]

QUICK POLL:

who do you think is a BETTER LIAR?

a) Hilary Clinton

b) Richard Nixon

[KarenJW]

Your Quick Poll should read;

Who do you think is a BETTER LIAR?

a) Hilary Clinton

b) Bill Clinton

[caj]

"Who do you think is a BETTER LIAR?"

Neither one. They both are very poor liars since they got caught. Better question is which one (Bill or Hill) has more contempt for the voting public?

I would have to vote Hillary. She lies (misspeaks) then goes on late night telly and laughs in our face about us believing the lie.

[Blackstone]

It is time for the gloves to come off. Obama can't lose the nomination in my opinion so it's time to get negative. He must launch a sustained negative counter offensive against Bill and Hillary Clinton dredging up any and all negative scandals from the Clinton years in office. She used Bin Laden in her ads, he should use Monica Lewinsky and others to show the true character of these people in his, it's time to get ugly because it works.

[Shozen]

Obama does not need to go after Sen. Clinton to win. He needs to start hitting McCain and the Republicans. Demonstrating that he has the metal to attack and defeat the Republicans will defeat the Clintonian argument that "he can't win."

[Kache]

If he wants to go negative but stay on issues, just compare his health plan to hers.

Hillary's health plan is merely a scam to force every person to buy insurance from her campaign contributors (the "lobbiests are people too" crowd). Even if she won the presidency there is no chance that her plan would get through Congress. No Congress is going to pass a plan that includes criminal penmalties for not buying insurance - not not buying enough.

Obama's plan is to actually create a national health insurance that anyone CAN buy into. As the nation's largest carrier it would set the benchmark rates for procedures and premiums and force the private companies to comperte with a real alternative instead of pretending to compete with each other with hidden rates. Capital fundamentalists claim that a government run health insurance could not compete - let's find out. If medicare is any measure most private insurers will either go out of business or - drum roll - provide REAL service.

He can run her out of town, tarred and feathered, if he gets down to issues.

[ResidentChimp]

Dueling Dems, a Republican's wet dream.

[Harrier]

If he went negative, he could take her out fast that it would take for me to change a spark plug. I think the threat would be enough to put the fear of god in her heart

[YWCYWC]

The longer this goes, the more we learn about Hillary's negatives. Tonight's lesson - earmarks. Follow Hillary's money trail. Learn how she buys influence and power, with your tax money.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20306341/the_queen_of_pork/print

[mln7905]

Obama should stay positive as much as he can, given the pig sty he's been thrown into. I would, however, like to hear SOMEONE raise the comment by HRC about working class whites: "Screw 'em." That has not been mentioned anywhere but Huff Post. I would LOVE to see that get out into the MSM right now.

[JeremyO]

Obama should stay positive. Move-on should dole out the filthiness by attacking Hillary on his part. That way it's a win win situtation. Obama stays positive and Hillary get's painted as flopper who changes her position on issues the way the public opinion wind sock blows, not exactly a big stretch. Oh please dirty her up Move-on, pretty please.

[Shozen]

Nobody needs to dirty her. She can't win, no matter what she does. Obama just needs to defend himself from her false claims and hit the Republicans hard.

[marthlois]

I agree. But I find this entire thing so pitiful. An "ananymous" source puts it out there that the Obama campaign is going to dredge up the old Clinton stuff? Names please - how wimpy indeed! STUFF? There's her old stuff......the OLD stuff.....but more importantly, her new stuff - which is to throw her own party under the bus with so many others. I think her media pass is because the same media who were there in the 90's are STILL there and don't want to be thrown under that same darned bus. They use and dismiss.
How pitiful this all is. If the American people only knew the restraint the Obama campaign has exercised! He's a gentleman - he's a politican who is defining a new way to not slime his opponent. In the few areas that he's been perceived as "attacking" Senator Clinton - it has been about factual data. Have no doubt that he will be a strong opponent in November. He won't get into the gutter with his Democratic opponent. He probably won't get into the gutter with the GOP candidate. But, the high road will tell the tale.

[Testtubebaby]

That's why her campaign hates young people. A young hungry jounarlist should get the dirt and put it all out there. Any takers....? hahahaha

[drzoon]

he really needs to go for her throat now. i've had it. first of all... he needs to stop being cute with her lying.

he needs to come out and say... SHE IS LYING... every time she lies. which would be about three or four hours or so

[fourex]

"The Washington Post reports this morning via an anonymous Democratic strategist that the Obama... "

Three things wrong with this post. Who in Washington Post, why is it anonymous, and why is Huff Post repeating it?

This is how right wing garbage goes around.

[drzoon]

Hilary is RIGHT WING!

[starrianna]

If he does, he will just keep showing how bitchy he his.

Earth to Obama: Try to impress America with actual plans, not words.

[Barbarossa03]

I don't think he should go negative, but as we have seen with John Kerry if you don't come back with a strong counterattack or at least a rebuttal it will be perceived as weakness by the American people. So I think he should answer her negativity.

[Daisy1111]

http://www.attacktimeline.com/

[unmutual]

Let Obama player hate on Wild Bill. It will back fire on him.

[starrianna]

Good, he'll deserve it.

[EvoMan]

Why?