McCain Ad: Clinton "Passed Over" (VIDEO)

***Updated, 2:20 pm***

In response to Barack Obama's VP announcement, John McCain's campaign has been reaching into old tv footage. First they released an ad featuring a clip of Joe Biden questioning Obama's experience at a debate. Now they have an ad saying Hillary Clinton was "passed over" for "speaking the truth" -- about Obama, of course. Watch:

Kathleen Strand, a spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton, responded to the ad with the following statement:

"Hillary Clinton's support of Barack Obama is clear. She has said repeatedly that Barack Obama and she share a commitment to changing the direction of the country, getting us out of Iraq, and expanding access to health care. John McCain doesn't. It's interesting how those remarks didn't make it into his ad."

Comments

[StillIRise]

It seems that Clinton and her "ites" have done more to help the GOP this election season than their own party. Their irrational hatred for Senator Obama has not only turned them against the Democratic Party, but has turned them against themselves. I mean, I've had a difficult time in the past myself voting for a Democrat who didn't quite measure up to my expectations, but I voted for him or her nonetheless ... because I'm a Democrat. So this phenomenon is pretty unusual, wouldn't you say? They may say it's because he's inexperienced or too unknown, or any of the other familiar rationales that have been given to explain their resistance to him, but none of it really explains this extreme animosity. In fact, in my sixty years of living, I would say there's only one thing that would make people act this way. But ... let's not talk about that! It's easier to pretend that it's something else entirely! After all, if it's what it appears to be, I think they would owe Reverend Wright an apology!

[ContraEgoiste]

I've always had my suspision that this whole thing was stirred and created by Karl Rove and his minions. It has his putrid smell all over it. In the end this hurts the Clintons as much as the O party. Sort of like a perfect double punch.

[Veratruth]

Your assessment is great. I have never seen a Republican praised by a Democrat during the primaries in my lifetime. I am really happy that Sen. Obama chose a VP that he can trust not to help John McCain. I went to the Springfield rally and it was great. It is a shame that Rev. Wright was crucified ... those who judged him so harshly will be judged. McCAIN=BUSH=ROVE

[StillIRise]

Thanks Vera. I agree with you about Reverend Wright. The public assassination of his character was shameful, as was Sean Hannity's effort to diminish Wright's sacrifical and dedicated forty year ministry to forty second soundbites. I have attended Wright's church and listened to him on numerous occasions, and though he is indeed bombastic and fiery, he is not what he was so maliciously portrayed to be. The sheer hypocrisy of those who were most vocal in their condemnation of Wright for alluding to America's racism, are the same ones, specifically Democrats, who are now voting against their own party for no other reason than the fact that Senator Obama is black! If they are indeed Democrats and believe in the values and vision of our party, then there is no other rational way to explain their behavior. They were offended by Reverend Wright, and are now opposed to Senator Obama, because they were forced by these two men to examine themselves, and rather than to face the challenge of their own racial fears and ignorance on matters of race, they took the easy way out, and turned what they saw in themselves onto Wright and Obama.

It was so unfair, but as you've said, it's something they will have to live with, and they WILL be judged!

[jrterrier]

did you see yesterday's ad with biden saying obama wasn't fit to be president and also saying that biden would "be honored to run with or against john mccain because i think the country would be better off" ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDVUPqoowf8

[DIMPLES]

mabe now puma can get mccain to pick hillary since he got a sore spot good luck

[Veratruth]

Yes... That's my pick for McCain. After all, they can trust each other ... i think.

[cariintexas]

Chris Matthews said it best today. If the Mc Cain people thinks Hillary is so hot, let Mc Cain pick her.

[Tinkeraw]

And pay her debt.

[Veratruth]

Yes... I haven't heard much more about that debt. What happened?

[Hamel]

Better yet; Donald Duck.

[Lemeritus]

Can I just ask why this piece hasn't been updated with Obama's response? It's distressing that the only news outlet headlining the response is (I hate it) FOX. http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/24/obama-camp-blasts-mccain-over-ad-on-hillary-snub/

"Clinton released a statement Sunday saying her support of Obama is “clear” and that it’s “interesting” McCain chose not to include in his ad her remarks praising their shared commitment to getting troops out of Iraq and providing access to health care.

"Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs, speaking with 'FOX News Sunday,' also disputed reports of lingering divisions in the party, claiming the Democratic National Convention — which begins Monday in Denver — will show a united front.

"'Senator Obama had a great conversation with Senator Clinton this week as well as former president Bill Clinton. Everybody’s on board,' he said. 'And it’s going to drive the media crazy when we come out of this convention united...H­illary Clinton, Joe Biden, everybody that ran for this office is going to be united.'"

Meanwhile, over at CNN, Blitzer and Anderson continue to stir the pot and 'dis' the Dems. Why is MSNBC still showing "doc bloc" nonsense?

[LiberTLover]

Because leopards don't change their spots, and these leopards want ratings which only come with drama, even if they have to manufacture it.

[pupbayer]

What will the 'bots do if they don't have HRC and her supporters to bash? I guess they'll just keep obsessing over them and bashing them.

[illinoisan]

Now that HRC is onboard, all we have to bash are folks who still use the tired "'bots" nomenclature.

[mypov123]

The same way that you and others bash Obama and his supporters. Practice what you preach, Pupbayer.

[LiberTLover]

For God's sake, woman up. She lost. Regular women face loss, heartache and unfairness every day and handle it with dignity, hard work, and grace.

Unless you are in the top 5% of earners in this country, this election is not about HRC or O. It is about all of us in th 95%. She has $65 million, a great job and healthcare to handle anything that comes her way. Her daughter is not going to be drafted to fight McScrewLoose's promised wars. If her house gets washed away she can move to the other one. We don't have that luxury. If you do, then you are one of the lucky ones.

There is a lot at stake here for us and our families, that is why people are getting frustrated and angry at all the holdouts and their lame excuses. She lost. We can work together and win for all of us, or you can complain that your candidate lost and hurt all of us, yourselves included. It is not about her. it is about us and the future of our families and this country that we love.

[nellie]

Now on the site:

"Barack Obama’s campaign fired back Sunday against John McCain’s ad accusing him of snubbing Hillary Clinton for his running mate slot, calling the attack “demonstrably false.”"

[Veratruth]

Gosh, I missed all that. Of course, I haven't watched FOX News for months. Did they switch their alliance?

[jrterrier]

actually and sadly, except for a few of their shows (ie o'reilly), foxnews has been running the most balanced coverage this year. they have real dems and real republicans going at it.

[Veratruth]

Why was McCain worried about the Democratic VP? Poor Rush Limbaugh (R bought and paid for) didn't get his pick in the Democratic primaries with his "Operation Chaos". I'm happy Obama picked Biden. Now I think McCain needs help. Quick, Barack, go tell McCain who he should pick for his VP ... Hillary perhaps. OBAMA/BIDEN VOTER in Nov.

[riverhouse]

It's nothing but a reflection of gop heartbreak that they don't have her to bring down the ticket and assure the gop win.

[OneAmerica]

If Hillary supporters are so dumb to vote for McCain as a protest vote, I hope they will not cry on the steps of the SCOTUS when Roe get overturned. Opps, they are probably too old to care about reproductive choice.

[pupbayer]

It's not going to happen. Get a clue. It would have happened under Reagan, Bush I, or Bush II. McC isn't going to touch it. The Supreme Court has been conservative for a very long time...the­y could have overturned it whenever they wished. You should be ashamed trying to blackmail women with their reproductive rights.

[Chillinout]

I hate to say this, but I actually somewhat agree with what you are saying here.

Only the reason I feel that it won't get overturned is because it is the major issue the religious right uses to rally it's base. Making abortions illegal would relegate the religious right to irrelevance overnight.

[LiberTLover]

I disagree. The govts may have been repub but the court choices were still there from dems. McComa has stated that it is his intention to get Roe reversed on more than one occasion. I would rather err on the side of caution, and not give him that opportunity with the courts or an executive signing order (he doesn't speak for his own campaign, so who would actually be in charge at the WH?), because it will be pretty bad if you are wrong and I would hate to be able to say 'we told you so' when it is too late.

[kasinca]

Without Roe vs. Wade, Gay Marriage, and Gun regulation­...the wingers have no red meat to throw the morons in their party every two and four years. Those issues are here to stay.

[SilverLib]

You are wrong about your view regarding the Supreme Court. The votes preventing a change in Roe v. Wade was Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy. Since her departure, the Supreme Court has already upheld the federal ban on partial-birth abortion. Thus, one vote change will bring about a change. If you read the opinions of Roberts, Scalia, Thomas and Alito you would know this. The case law since Roe v. Wade has been to create more roadblocks for abortion rights, not less.
Without a doubt, women's right to choose is at stake with this election. Leave the right and choice on this private issue in the hands of women and not the government or right-wing fundamentalists.

Vote Democratic, Vote for Obama!

[cindyward]

pupbayer, I disagree with you - what OneAmerica said isn't blackmail, it's true. Because of Carter and Clinton's presidencies, the SCOTUS has NOT been and isn't yet conservative enough to overturn Roe v. Wade. But with the addition of just ONE more right-wing judge, MANY 5-4 decisions will be 4-5. One likely to be overturned is the privacy argument that is the backbone of Roe v. Wade. Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts don't seem to have much respect for individual privacy.

There's an argument that the right-wing doesn't really WANT Roe overturned because they need it to charge up the evangelical Christians every 4 years. But if (God forbid!) McCain is elected, he will owe MUCH more to the evangelicals than any other previous Republican president. People like Dobson will have had to swallow MANY previous words against McCain.

McCain is even on the record as being against CONTRACEPTION! He must want to make sure there will be lots of poor young adults to use as cannon fodder for his planned new wars in Iran and Georgia, plus the old wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under Bush 2, Roe has been seriously undermined, by rulings against the partial abortion procedure, rulings for parental notification and waiting periods, and the reinstatement of the international gag rule. Even Planned Parenthood is running somewhat scared at this point.

So IMHO any woman who cares about her reproductive freedom who votes for McCain is voting against her own best interests.

[Lemeritus]

Ageist, wouldn't you say? Is that your idea of helping out?

[Clarabell]

The way Hillary has been treated here on Huffpo and other places, I really wouldn''t blame her supporters -- I will vote for Obama, but to tell you the truth, I find a lot of his supporters down right nasty. What does she owe you? And why can't the Obama supporters get over it? I personally think Hillary would have been a great president and she has been quite gracious, but unlike a lot of you "can't get over its," I have more smarts than you do apparently. And if Obama does lose, and you wonder why, just go look in your mirror.

[Chillinout]

Something to keep in mind: There are a lot of nasty people on this site that are here for that very reason. To be nasty and stir the pot. The best thing for the Repugs is to divide the Dems.

Go over to Mc Cain's web site and you will see that he is actively recruiting tr0lls for this very reason. In fact you get points for "every verified post." (No one has ever been able to tell me what they get with these "points.")

So don't allow someone else on here to affect your emotions or feelings because it is quite likely that you are being played by a tr0ll.

[Sabreen60]

You get to say what you want on this site - now and during the primaries. 0ba-ma supporters posts were scrubbed from all sites supporting Hil. Yes there have been Hil bashing on this site, but I truly believe it was due mostly to the threats we received..­...help her with her debt or we won't vote for him......c­hose her as his V P or we won't vote for him......p­ut her name into nominati0n or we won't vote for him......l­et her give a speech or we won't vote for him......

Do you realize that she didn't even congratulate him on winning the nominati0n on the night that he won???

So before you start pointing fingers maybe you would be wise to look at the whole picture and remember the saying....­when you point one finger at someone else you've got three pointing back at you.

[Veratruth]

Hey, we would love Hillary if she had not praised McCain during the primaries ... something unheard of by most voters. I could even forgive her for lying about the Bosnia trip. Also, she kept asking for DONATIONS right up until the END of the primaries, and you and yours would not help her. You and McCain expected Obama supporters to help. We do not know how many of you were cross-over voters ... we can only guess that you are the ones who say you are for McCain NOW. All the Clintons were asking me for donations. After all this, you call Obama supporters nasty if we try to defend ourselves. You say we should be the ones to get over IT. What should WE get over ... responding to your negative comments? Remember, I am replying to your comment not visa versa. Please don't condemn Obama supporters if you don't want a reply. Thanks

[hunterjond]

Isn't it funny how the right, so assured that they are right on the issues, talk so little about them. If you can't win an argument on the merits, sling anything you can and see if it sticks, i.e, celebrity, empty suit, mean to HRC, Jeremiah Wright, etc. Let's not talk about invading Iraq and empowering no one other than Iran. Let's not talk about the $12 billion a month we're spending there. Let's not talk about the dead and the wounded . Let's not talk about caring for them or their families. Let's just take credit for GI Bills that we actually opposed. Let's not talk about running up the national debt and debasing the dollar, thereby contributing to the rise in the price of oil which profits no one except the oilmen. Oh excuse me, two oilmen in the White House, silly me. Let's not talk about the shame of more than 40 million people who don't have health insurance and how we all pay, through increased premiums or higher taxes, for their emergency care. Let's not talk about home forclosures, but let's make sure we bail out the companies that made the bad loans in the first place. I would have thought that the right, so assured that they are right on the issues, would be telling us how all of this is good for the country and why four more years of it would be even better.

[Chillinout]

Yes, there is definitely a pattern here by the Repugs to get Hill elected. First "operation chaos" with the Repugs crossing over to attempt to get her nominated and now this.

Yep! She is the one they wanted to run against, that much is obvious.

[carolinadoc]

Do the math.....
Hillary garnered 18 million votes, lets subtract about 1 million for Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos" that still leaves 17 million votes. If 20% (3.4 million) of those votes don't go Obama's way, we will be watching McCain be sworn as president. 20% is on the low end of some estimates I've seen on MSNBC & CNN. He has to find a way to make nice to Hillary or he doesn't stand a chance.

[joyf1]

Ok, do the math with the votes cast in Michigan. Obama wasn't on the ballot. Of course she got those votes.

[nellie]

And if you wrote in another candidate's name, your ballot was TOSSED.

[Chillinout]

Here is the thing about those polls you have been seeing. They poll what they call "likely voters." Those are the voters that voted in 2004. That automatically discounts the 4 million new voters O'bama and Hill brought into the Democratic Party. So even if your numbers are correct and that is a big if, we are 600,000 votes ahead. And I am pretty confident that most, if not all, of the people saying they aren't going to vote for O'bama now will in November.

[PHM]

If you want to do the math, do this math...

Hillary did not get 18M votes...sh­e "rounded up"...

Hillary raised as much as Obama and ended up in the hole by $20M+ (not a great track record and not the person I'd want watching the US budget)

Senator Clinton is a professional and should not have to be catered to or made nice to...if she wants to ever have a future in politics she better not pi$$ off the millions of us (women) who voted for Senator Obama in the primary (add to that number the millions would suffer if we have a McCain administration).

Any woman who claims to be a 'die-hard" Clinton supporter for McCain is really a Limbaugh-Loving Rovian Republican Thug in disguise..­.or...just a sad, despicable racist because McCain has absolutely NOTHING to offer any woman or minority or person making less than $5M/year.

[BWonka]

Nice you know Math. Too bad those bitter PUMAs will vote for McNoEconom­icKnowledg­e when he admits he doesn't.

Guess they care more about themselves than they do about the Country, Hil, or Sen. O.

[LiberTLover]

You are counting only Dems. What about the Independents and Repubs who crossed over that won't vote for her? The sad thing is that O will be fine if he loses, the ones who won't stand a chance are all those casting spite votes for HRC. No tax breaks to help with rising costs, no jobs or homes saved, no equal pay, no affordable healthcare, no renewable energy, no tax free income for seniors making under $50k, no help for education, no Roe vs Wade. The list goes on. And all while HRC has her $65 million plus 2007 earnings in her bank account, so she will be fine too. Unless she pays the small business vendors and then she is down to $55 million plus. The question is, will you and your family be fine? It's like shooting yourself in the head and leaving a note saying you did it because you didn't like someone. Just plain foolish and it only hurts yourself.

[LiberTLover]

I never thought I would feel sorry for HRC, but her hardcores are turning her into a political joke with both parties, thanks to McPUMA.

[EarthToZoey]

Agreed. I respect Hillary Clinton and always have, but the die-hard "PUMA" crowd is not only embarrassing her but they make absolutely no logical sense. Why risk another neoconservative Presidency? Why risk continuing down this road of economic failure? There is a real disconnect here.

Considering the celebrity status of Rush Limbaugh, I wouldn't be surprised if a bigger percentage than people realize are a part of "Operation Chaos". And they're loving every second of the attention. Who could blame them? They're having a grand time being a part of a "secret club" that is literally influencing media coverage and could possibly influence this election. The mainstream media loves siphoning "net roots" stories to fill their 24 hour news coverage, and this phenomenon highlights the power of the internet and how it can be used for good or ill. Sadly, these Chaos types who get their rocks off being deceptive -- as fun as it may be -- don't seem to realize how misguided the neoconservative agenda is. Unless their income is somewhere in the top 7% of the wealthy elite, the Chaos crowd is simply a pawn in their struggle to retain power. The game may seem fun now, but wait until we plunge deeper into war, a budget deficit further weakening the dollar, an ever expanding imperial Presidency, soaring military spending, crony corporate welfare, weakening national security by eliminating good relations abroad.... the list goes on and on.

[ContraEgoiste]

That's the ironic part, HRC is loosing political capital thus deminishing her effectiveness (so much for caring for her). That is why I believe that this whole movement is orchestrated by Rove and there are a few people that have fallen for it. And even the fact that it is the Cons that most feverish clamor for her and defend her doesn't even ring an alarm in their ears.

[nellie]

I wouldn't put it past them. Their attitude toward Clinton is just irrational. This would be exactly the kind of spiteful trick Rove would pull.

[illinoisan]

Don't feel too sorry for her. She brought all of this down on the party herself.

[Tinkeraw]

If McCain wins it will be said the Clinton caused it Obama to lose. For her political future she needs to make sure her followers vote for Obama. Once McCain is in and all goes to hell a scapegoat will be needed .... Hillary's supporters.

[estevancarlos]

Obama should do an ad with Biden and with Hillary.

[Xenopus]

The truth is, regardless of whether you are for Hillary or not, she polls at 49% who would never vote for her - that's too high a risk for Obama to take. Also, Hillary is tied to Bill who won't be vetted on his recent money earnings and money for his library. Everyone says Obama this and Obama that with Hillary. But Hillary's biggest liability is William Jefferson Clinton. He was a negative for her campaign overall and he prevented her from being vetted for V.P.

[DaOne]

Fair comment.

[mypov123]

She's pulling at 49% now because she wasn't attacked by the Republicans during the primary, unlike what Obama experienced.

You don't think the Republicans are going to "vet" Bill and his dealings involving the Clinton Library? You do know who Karl Rove is, don't you?

[Oldtt]

Because Obama supporters keep on running against the Clintons doesn't mean the Republicans will waste their time doing the same thing. While you keep hammering Bill and Hillary, they will hammer Barack.

[riverhouse]

Good point.

[northcan]

Everyone expected Hillary to win...espe­cially Hillary and the Repubs. They had said for months in 2007, they have all the files ready for a knockout punch on "the Clintons". This has been a seething problem for repubs for decades, this was a 'punch' that would knock them out cold. Hannity, O'Reilly, Murdoch, Rove and many senators..­...waiting­, waiting and waiting. Barack Obama surprised all of them.

They thought there smears would amount to a great loss in the primarys, but now, all of them do not know what to smear him about so they pick inexperience, bitter, elitist, has no experience in the world foreign affairs, when in actuality he has much more experience than Hillary Clinton. He has lived it, felt it, studied it, travelled and has the culture, knowledge and insight. John McCain is not as experienced as Joe Biden. 5 yrs in a POW camp doesn't give you any experience. His gaffe's are actually quite telling that his knowledge is mainly from what the foreign relations comittee would be but no legislation other than denying veterens better health care and equipment. He's lazy. Wants a legacy without working for it and his world is all about war not peace.

[Dee123]

Strongly agree with you.

[Clarabell]

Whose everyone? Not me. My predictions have so far been 100% accurate. I predicted that the media was "picking" Hillary, so they could then cream her (while at the same time protecting Obama), and once that job was accomplished and Obama was the chosen one, then they would start working on him. For those who have heard this before, I'm sorry, I hate to keep repeating myself. But my next prediction is (and god I hope I'm wrong on this one) that the swiftboaters will do to Obama and Biden the same thing they did to Kerry and we will be left holding another "bag." And who says Americans aren't "stupid?"