Campaign AdWatch: Obama Hits Back At Clinton, Lobbyists

On the last episode of Amargura Y Lagrimas, the searing, endless, telenovela of the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton had gathered a handful of Pennsylvania's finest non-union actors to use the powers of their Stanislavski training to pretend that they weren't bitter and yell at Barack Obama for his no-good elitism. Well, you knew that wasn't going to stand! So Obama took the issue head on by releasing his own ad that...uhm...totally changed the subject. And deployed cocktail jazz.

The result is "Guide," which attacks Clinton's connections to lobbyists using groovy music, a grainy film effect, and the sort of ironic humor that made Mike Huckabee a household name without making him President. The ad's money shot features a clip of Clinton shouting at the YearlyKos convention that she was going to go right on taking money from lobbyists, thank-you-very-much, which is sort of damning, but then again, who hasn't wanted to yell at the YearlyKos convention at least once? I mean, we're only human.

Comments

[mediahack]

ABC Denate tonight! - How does Obama handle "Cling to Guns and religion .. " charge?

I don't know if "elitist" is the proper word for Mr.Obama. But his comments revealed something about him that is uncomfortable. He hasn't explained yet why his supporters at that fund raiser in San Francisco were laughing at his comments. Watch the video at the link below, ask yourself what was so funny?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Video_from_San_Francisco.html

[rojo7449]

Hillary supporters don't care that she takes money from lobbyists, and PACs. We understand how government works and aren't living under the delusional idea that anything in that process is going to change....not under her, McCain, or Obama.

Obama's "strike back" ads are not showing the maturity I want to believe could end up in the oval office. At least Bill's antics were adult rated. He's like the little tattle tail in the principal's office crying that "the kids are being mean to him".

With the Republican House and Senate that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are undoubtedly going to create after their miserable showings, Obama will not change a thing, not a thing. Can't wait to hear the whining that will come out of that scenario since nothing, absolutely nothing is ever Obama's fault.

[marc1antony]

Obama needs to use Jed Report videos in his campaign - Jed takes all of Hillary's own words and proves what a liar she is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exsmFDYyK4U

[kenjisan]

great video - she lies and thinks it won't come back to bite her - this video should be sent to every prospective voter.

[duffman209]

Special interests are what is hurting this country. They place private interest over public interest. That is the fundamental difference between Obama and Clinton. That is why this primary has gone on so long. The battle is between someone offering to include the civic minded individual in the process of government as opposed to someone asking to single handedly take care of the problem for us. I will chose someone that asks for my help any day of the week over someone that patronizes me. I would do that regardless of party affiliation. The problems facing this country are not partison issues, they are universal.

[jstock]

Nice ad.

[karela]

A zinger ad and right on perfect with it's quiet, low key, presentations. Everybody is growing weary with ads this time of year and this one is refreshing.

[AntonBursch]

Obama has 1.3 million donors and counting, folks.

which group of people will he listen to?

the special interests offering Millions?

or the Millions of people offering Billions?

so difficult to determine.

millions or billions.

oh wait!! Obama is one of those Elitist types who use math and logic.

sorry special interests

get on the people train or get out of washington

sounds like a bunch of lawyers made the right decision already.

[rollingdivision]

Barack Obama often boasts he is "the only candidate who isn't taking a dime from Washington lobbyists," yet his fundraising team includes 38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records show.

Those lawyers, including 10 former federal lobbyists, have pledged to raise at least $3.5 million for the Illinois senator's presidential race. Employees of their firms have given Obama's campaign $2.26 million, a USA TODAY analysis of campaign-finance data shows.

Thirty-one of the 38 are law firm partners, who typically receive a share of their firms' lobbying fees. At least six of them have some managerial authority over lobbyists.

"It makes no difference whether the person is a registered lobbyist or the partner of a registered lobbyist, if the person is raising money to get access or curry favor," said Michael Malbin, director of the Campaign Finance Institute, a non-partisan think tank.

[sssteverrr]

Whats your point. By your post it is apparent that you think even indirect connections to lobbyists are a bad thing, right. Well, even taking your post into account, Obama has by far the least connections to lobbyists of any of the other candidates. He is the only candidate who does not accept donations from lobbying firms directly.

Obama has received donations from over 1,000,000 individual Americans, averaging less than $100.00. Obama answers to we the people in a way that niether Clinton or McCain does.

So, who are you supporting, rollingdivision, and if not Obama whats your point.

[rollingdivision]

Washington Post Fact Checker ""We have now raised 90 percent of our donations from small donors, $25, $50. We average -- our average donation is $109 so we have built the kind of organization that is funded by the American people that is exactly the goal and the aim of everybody who's interested in good government and politics supports."

No. He gets more from small donors than either Clinton or McCain, but 67% of Obama's money still comes from those giving $200 or more.
Barack Obama said that in the Feb. 26 debate with Hillary Clinton in Cleveland. He was wrong. We should have caught it, and we didn't."

The Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks donations at its Web site Opensecrets.org, figures that 33 percent of the donations that Obama raised and reported as of Feb. 20 came from donors who gave $200 or less.

For comparison, Hillary Clinton got 13 percent of her money from $200-and-under donors, and John McCain got 28 percent of his. 33% versus 28%, not a big difference between Obama and McCain.

[karela]

I believe you'll find that he usually quotes the average donation from people who donate on the internet. The number of Obama donors is approaching 1,336,000. It must be working somehow or another because Obama is way, way ahead on donors and on donations. His donors aren't maxed out like many of Mrs. Clinton's top down supporters and John McCain isn't in the same ball park in fund raising.
What is true is that no Obama donor is under the impression that they "own" him. You won't see twenty Obama supporter fat cats threatening the Speaker of the House of the United States of America.

[rollingdivision]

USA Today "¢Obama holds fundraisers at law firms that lobby in Washington. Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor confirmed the campaign held five fundraisers at New York and Boston offices of three firms that lobby, including Greenberg Traurig, whose lobbying clients include gambling and handgun interests.

Obama counts lobbyists among his informal advisers, including Broderick Johnson, who heads the Washington lobbying practice of Bryan Cave, which represents Shell Oil, records show. Nine campaign staffers have been lobbyists, public records show. Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.

¢Obama accepts money from spouses of federal lobbyists. In December, the campaign returned a $250 contribution from lobbyist Thomas Jensen of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, but a few days later, it cashed a $500 check from wife, Sarah, records show. Jensen said wife had "personally chosen" to contribute to Obama.

¢Obama accepts contributions and fundraising help from state lobbyists. Florida lobbyist Russell Klenet hosted fundraiser for Obama Aug. 25, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Two months before, Klenet had withdrawn as a lobbyist in Washington for a kidney dialysis company that relies heavily on federal revenue....

¢Obama is raising more than his opponents from executives of some of the corporate interests he criticizes. Obama has received more money from people who work at pharmaceutical and health product companies, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics. He's taken in $528,765 through February, compared with $506,001 for Clinton and $139,400 for McCain, despite saying last July that "I don't take pharma money."

[Disparaged]

For those of you who do NOT believe that our MSM is being controlled by politicians (particularly when Clinton was in the WH, plese see the following link and read what HRC has to say about CNN.

http://thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=6143

[KINOKO]

Let's see if I have this right, Disparaged...you have just refered us to a website that says the Norwegian Government has evidence of "Planet X" striking Earth in 2012, and that Saddam Hussein is alive and well, and that Hillary Clinton basically said, in recorded White House minutes, "let them eat cake !"....? Could you do me a favor, and go see if the Teletubbies are on? I've noticed lately that they have Communist leanings, and may have been complicit in the "replacement" of Brad pitt as a Pod. I want to see for myself. Oh, and could you also stop wasting our time by linking ridiculous websites on HuffPost while you're at it?

[Wheatstraw]

I have watched this ad at least 5 times...it's just a wonderful ad...nuff said!

[debwarot]

Absolutely wonderful ad! Loved it!

[Jedi007]

I hope this ad is just the beginning. She has left herself open for a real beating. I have a great idea for a fantastic AD (It is my idea, so credit me when you do it Barack.)

Hire Jon Lovitz (the pathological liar from SNL) to critique HilLIARry and her "mis-speaks" this spring.
He should admire her technique, but advise her to check for video footage before attempting any more big whoppers. Yeah...that's the ticket...

He should hammer on one word....TRUST. You can't trust someone who will say anything.

[mawrm]

And trust me there is more from where this came from. they need to do an ad about the $800K the Clintons got from the colombians and Mark Penn's lil side work. Yes, I know, hitting a lil low, but we need to end this damn thing now!!

[jean22]

I'm with you "mawrm". This needs to end. Go for the jugular now. Hillary is not qualified to be in this race a day longer. Lies galore, she's being treated like a spoiled brat!

[POINT84]

WOow...hahahaha, Hillary Hillary, tsk tsk tsk. What is there even to say?

[TN]

Bravo, Bravo, too good, thanks for the info, PA is getting all of the good stuff.

[Janemas]

I love it! The strategy of this campaign is genius. Imagine if they ran the government? I could see it now... education, healthcare, housing, economy, the environment and the judicial system... all back in the hands of a cabinet willing to work for the American people and not the lobbyists! Everyone is finally going to reach the mountaintop!

[jean22]

Wow, this is the best political commercial I've ever seen. He certainly knows how to counterpunch! Best candidate by far.

[flyguy14222]

Oh Barry. Your top strategists AND donors are lobbyists. Do you really think we are that dumb? We know Shelly does.

[KINOKO]

Sorry flyguy, but "Barry's" top donors are people like myself, who just donated another $250 to the Obama campaign. And since you have now annoyed me with yet another insipid comment, I think I'll go donate another $100 in honor of you.

[foxilocks2007]

Actually..I think newsweek confirmed that his staff is filled with FORMER lobbyists.

[barrista]

Why do you call him Barry?

[GBecker]

Because that's Barack's nickname - only Obama' closest friends and family call him Barry. Fly's kinda shy and doesn't want us to know he's tight with our next president. Huh, fly?

But fly gets his thoughts all mixed up sometimes. Like that BS about lobbyists. BO's talking about federal lobbyists, you asshat!

[beautifuldisaster]

Loved it!

[deweshk]

This is the BEST ad i've seen so far. You Go Obama08 !!

[Lauren1959]

Fantastic ad!

[globalcitizenlinda]

I doubt if the Clintons knew that they "scratched a sleeping tiger" - always under-estimating Obama and his supporters.

One would hope that after seeing the results of previous pirmaries, the Clinton Team would know by know that Obama's supporters cannot be moved by this "silly season" and that Barack is the candidate who "stings lke a bee" even as he delivers his criticism with a smile.

[impeachBC]

Nice job Obama camp! I absolutely love this commercial! Tell it like it is! We bitter American's CAN HANDLE the TRUTH! And it's about time we learned some real facts so we can make some real change!

[idtfjmk]

America ain't so dumb afterall. Maybe we shall see. Both of them make me sick but I like both of them. That's what you call crazy. Joking. I like Hillary, but Obama I love. McCain, my God will AMERICA learn this guy want to BUMB Iran, like Iraq wasn't DUMB enough.
As much has this two fight each other and we get emotional sometimes but McCain Lordie lord

[vincealy]

Heres another commercial from Obama that you will not see on the Clinton cable stations MSNBC or CNN http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/04/15/politics/horserace/entry4017884.shtml Great

[britethere]

Great One. Actually I did see it on MSNBC Oberman Countdown....thank God for Keith

[sherbug]

ROFLMAO. I think Hillary pissed Barack off. The jeering in the background is priceless.

[Disparaged]

I loved that ad as well! Thanks for sharing!

[LanosIceland]

On top of the game; my man; Obama. Another slammer. She'll be having nightmares and tearing her hair out after this one. A brilliant move from the Obama camp. A masterpiece.